


The Crimson Wolf

by Bella88



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Clan, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Hate to Love, Knights - Freeform, Legends, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-21
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-03-22 05:08:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 89,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13756971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bella88/pseuds/Bella88
Summary: Yona was brought up to fear and hate werewolves, but when a stranger comes along, she starts to question her kingdom's history on the beasts. Are the werewolves the real monsters or is there more to the story?





	1. Prologue

****

 

**Prologue**

 

I can't remember a time when things were different from how they are now. It seems it has always been like this and ever since I was little, I never saw anything wrong with it.

My name is Yona. I am the only daughter of Emperor II, therefore I am also known as the princess. My home, the Sky Tribe, is centered as the capital of Kyouka, our kingdom.

The history of my kingdom is unlike any other kingdom. You see, Kyouka was made up of five great tribes: the Sky Tribe as the capital, the Fire Tribe who were famous for their weapons, the Earth Tribe whose land was the most fertile, the Water Tribe who held the most knowledge and medicine, and then there was the Wind Tribe, who were by far the strongest tribe.

But that wasn't all that the Wind Tribe was famous for.

Many centuries ago the Wind Tribe had been cursed by a witch. Each member was turned into, what you would call, a werewolf. The sky Tribe's leader and emperor of that time, gave great sympathy towards the Wind Tribe and tried to find a cure.

Eventually they found a beautiful and kind witch with fiery crimson hair who, although could not cure them, she could aid them in another way. She gave them the power to control their new abilities and turn back and forth from human to werewolf. This gifted the tribe with supernatural powers and became even more powerful than before.

To thank the king for his kindness, the Wind Tribe vowed to be Kyouka's guardians. As for the witch, the emperor was so enchanted by her beauty that he married her.

However, the witch's spell had an unknown catch.

One year after the spell was cast, on a night hovering a full moon, the members of the Wind Tribe were forced to transform into their werewolf counterparts and took on a savage nature. The good witch, having known of this, came that same night and used her power to stop the werewolves from leaving their tribe so that they wouldn't attack the other tribes. For the next few years the wind tribe hid this secret and worked with the witch every full moon to trap them inside their tribe.

Over time, the witch grew weak and one night her power was not enough to seal away the werewolves and she was killed by the leader of the Wind Tribe.

The next day, the king came to see his friend to ask for help in finding his lost wife, but instead he found her dead body next to his friend drenched in her blood.

Outraged and feeling betrayed, the king declared war, seeing the werewolves as murderous beasts and nothing more. The Wind Tribe's leader, Son Mandok was too grieved to fight back against his old-time friend and refused to fight. Hating himself for killing the queen.

The Fire Tribe, having envied the Wind Tribe for years had made weapons out of what they discovered to be fatal to werewolves, silver.

Their army ambushed the Wind Tribe and more than half the tribe was slaughtered. Seeing no other way, Mandok lead the remaining few of his clan deep into the dark forest to hide.

Not long after their victory, the Emperor had a wall built up around his Tribe separating the werewolves from any of the human tribes beyond the wall. Since then the 4 remaining tribes dubbed the wolves as the enemy and young men all over grew up training to become slayers. Children were brought up to believe that the werewolves were nothing but monsters who had no hearts. I, myself was raised to believe this theory and never once doubted it.

That emperor who breathed hatred for werewolves was my grandfather, who had had two sons with the witch. One of the sons, my uncle, prince Yu-hon held that same hatred and grew up to be an incredible warrior. He was respected all over the kingdom, especially the Fire Tribe. The other son, my father was more soft hearted then his brother and hated violence, while others believed that he was nothing more than a coward.

When my father was chosen to become the next emperor, he vowed to do whatever he could to protect the kingdom, but avoided conflict as often as possible.

Emperor II married and soon I was born. I d like to add that I was, like my mother, beautiful, but was 'blessed' with my grandmother's crazy, crimson hair.

I never questioned the history of the kingdom, but when a new boy came to the Sky Tribe, I found myself not only questioning my home, but myself as well.

* * *

**To be continued.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Akatsuki no Yona or any of the characters.**

**I added this to give the plot some history and hopefully allow the story to make some sense to whoever is reading it. Hope it sparks some interest for you. Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter the princess and the werewolf.

**Chapter 1**

"MIN-SOO!" the princess hollered from inside her bedroom chambers.

"Coming princess!" came the reply of a gentle and slightly nervous voice. A young man, dressed in servant clothes, peeped through the slightly opened doors of the young maiden s bedroom with his eyes closed. "I-is there a problem princess Yona?"

Inside the enormous and fashionably designed bedroom stood the gem of the Sky Tribe and Kyouka s princess, Yona. Along with her were five ladies in waiting, meant to help her prepare for the upcoming events. Currently the Sky Tribe is preparing for a party to celebrate another full year of protection from the land s biggest threat, werewolves. The sky Tribe is hosting it as the capital Tribe of Kyouka.

"Of cause there is a problem! None of my kimonos are good enough to wear at the celebration tonight," she explained while throwing her arms in the air, in an exasperated manner. Walking over to the piles of kimonos on her bed, Yona started examining each one and one by one threw them over her head in annoyment.

Finally, having opened his eyes, Min-soo makes his way towards the princess, attempting to catch the, very expensive, kimonos, some of which landing over his head. "Now pri-OOF! Ahem, now princess Yona, I m sure you'd look lovely in anyone of these kimon-OW!" Having accidently tripped on of the previously thrown kimonos, Min-soo awkwardly gets back on his feet and places the caught kimonos on a nearby table and then turns again to the princess who is currently sulking.  
"Why, in my opinion, the one you are wearing looks just fine!" he flatteringly says.

Yona puffed out her cheeks in annoyance and made her way towards her body-length mirror. "It's not that the dresses aren't pretty, it's that none of them go with my hair!" she replies, twirling a lock of crimson hair. "Why must I be cursed with such hideous hair? It s not fair." She drops her hand and stares into the mirror with a faraway look. "How am I to impress him with this monstrosity?" she whispers to herself.

A knowing smile makes its way onto Min-soo s face and he walks over to the princess, while the ladies in waiting start cleaning up the room. "This doesn't have anything to do with Sir Soo-won? Does it princess?"

The princess immediately stiffens and her face flushes bright red. "A-and wha-what if it does? We-we are engaged after all!"

"Well there is your solution then, isn't it?" Min-soo slowly replies, as if to make it clear to her. "Princess, you have nothing to fear, as the two of you are already to be wed. Not to mention that the two of you have been friends since you were children. He would be happy with anything you wore."

"That s not the point! Soo-won may be my betrothed, but it was all done for politics. He still sees me as a child and I want to change that!" Yona exclaimed, suddenly becoming very passionate about her argument.

Letting out a nervous laugh, Min-soo made to make another attempt of calming down the princess when a rather loud nock was heard at the door.

"Princess Yona?" A gruff and commanding voice questioned. "Princess Yona, please excuse the intrusion, but the guests have started to arrive and the emperor is awaiting your presence." That voice belonged to none other than the Sky Tribe s very own, General Joo-Doh. All the generals were experts at killing werewolves and Joo-Doh was no exception, he was most well-known for the scare on his eye, which he got from getting in between the emperor II and a stray werewolf out for blood. He was by far the most loyal of the generals to the royal family, to the point that he became obsessive.

"I m still getting ready general Joo-Doh! Tell my father that I shall be there when I have finished!" the still determined princess yelled, ignoring the pleading gestures Min-soo sent her way, silently begging her not to anger the short-tempered general.

But instead of the expected rant from the general, came the smooth reply of, "Very well princess, I suppose I shall just have to inform Sir Soo-won that her majesty is to occupied to see the likes of him at this moment!"

And before Min-soo could blink, the doors were swung open by a flushed and anxious princess. "Y-you wouldn't!" the princess exclaimed, fists clenching the pink kimono she currently wore.

"Try me," the unamused general threatened, towering over Yona.

Letting out a defeated sigh, Yona gave in and nodded, making her way passed the general and down the long hallway, Min-soo and Joo-Doh following behind.

While making her way towards the celebration hall, Yona let a smile appear on her face. She may not be satisfied with her attire, but at least she would get to see her dearest, Soo-won. That, in the end, was the most important thing to her.

* * *

Outside the walls of the Sky Tribe lies the forbidden forest, where all the remaining werewolves were banished. No humans are permitted to enter the forest as a law made by the current emperor. Only the generals have ever come close to it before.

A young, tall man with black hair and sharp, blue eyes is seated on a cliff surrounded by trees. It provided the most breathtaking view of the forest and the Sky Tribe. The man glared out towards the Sky Tribe, watching fireworks explode into the sky and listened to the cheery music coming from that area. A low growl left the man's mouth as the celebration continued. How he loathed them.

A sudden snap of a twig, took the young man's attention away from the festivities and he stood up to full height, bearing his fangs and claws to whoever hid amongst the trees.

"Wow there feisty! It s just me!" A man, around the same age as the raven-haired man, stepped out of the shadows. He had long green hair that was tied up into a low orange ribbon and mischievous, droopy, purple, eyes, wearing a blue rope and matching pants, that had seen better days. "Thought I'd find you here, Hak."

Hak's posture slowly relaxed, his facial expression turning into a bored one and he turned once again to the view of the Sky Tribe, crouching down to take his previous seat. "Get lost Droopy Eyes. I'm not in the mood."

Said man only grinned at his friend's words and walked further out onto the edge of the cliff and seated himself next to Hak. "Now is that any way to speak to your older brother Hak?" he teased, faking a hurt tone.

Hak raised a dark eyebrow at the man and gruffly replied, "First of all, Jae-ha, we aren't even related and second what do you want? I m kinda busy."

A laugh erupted from the green-haired man's mouth as he tore his gaze from Hak towards the view. "By busy you mean glaring at the Sky Tribe for hours?" Another laugh started, making Hak roll his eyes in annoyance. When the laughter finally died down, Jae-ha looked back at his friend, still having that ever-lasting grin plastered on his face. "And I decided that since I am older than you, I might as well be your big brother! I do, after all, have to keep you in line . Well, that's how your grandfather puts it. I understand it more as babysitting."

"I still don t understand why that old man thinks I need a guard," he sighed out. "If I'm not mistaken I am one of the strongest werewolves around right?"

"That may be true, but I guess it s more meant for keeping an eye on you so you don't do something stupid, than you know, actually protecting you," Jae-ha said while stretching his arms.

"But why did he have to pick the most annoying werewolf for the job?" Hak sighed once more, causing Jae-ha to twitch in offence.

"Now Hak, that wasn't a very nice thing to say. That attitude is going to make you less attractive, you know."

"Whatever," Hak casually replied, ignoring his friend's rant and focusing his attention on a newly fired firework. The exploding colors dancing in his eyes, while the noise hurt his over sensitive ears.

Suddenly Jae-ha stood up and started walking back towards the forest. "Come on, I actually came to fetch you. The tribe is having a meeting. I figured you'd be interested in a boring thing like that," he said looking over his shoulder at Hak.

"A meeting? When was this announced?" he asked, turning from the fireworks display.

"This morning actually, and Gi-gan is hosting it. So, if we know what's good for us, we'd better get going." Jae-ha voiced, disappearing in the shadows again.

I smirk made it's way onto Hak's face at the mention of the crazy old women. "Ya, I guess you're right," he said, getting up and following Jae-ha into the forest,  
but not before taking one last glance at the Sky Tribe.

The two werewolves eventually made their way into the center of the forest, where a large cave was found, acting as the meeting area of the pack. Inside stood the whole Wind tribe, all attention directed towards the back of the room, where Gig-gan stood.

Gi-gan was an elderly werewolf who was no stranger to pain. She was one of the last remaining elders of the tribe, most of which had died during the banishment of their kind years ago. Gi-gan had lost her husband and unborn baby during the battle and since then she has wanted revenge against the people of Kyouka. She was skilled in fighting and brains and when the tribe leader, Mandok, went into a grief-stricken state, she took charge and became second-in-command. She provided training for the younger members and helped save the lost wolves. Jae-ha had been one of them. His mother had been human, while his father was a werewolf. When he was born and his village found out, they had tortured him and was labeled as a monster who belonged nowhere. He had been locked up, hoping he would starve to death, while his parents had been killed. Gi-gan had found him on a hunt. His village was not equipped for a werewolf attack and so were no match to fight. Jae-ha was taken into Gi-gan s care and taught him everything he needed to know about his wolf side. Being a half breed, gave Jae-ha both advantages and disadvantages.  
Most of his powers revolved within his legs, giving him better agility than the other werewolves, enabling him to jump further distances than the others and never get worn out, but his senses and healing factors were weaker as well as upper body strength.

Too be honest Hak, Jae-ha and Mandok were probably the only members who weren't afraid of the old lady. That didn't mean that they would want to get on her bad side though.

Hak and Jae-ha quickly ran into the pack of werewolves, finding a place at the back.

Hak looked around him, until he spotted his old man, Mandok, the pack's leader, or so he was meant to be, sluggishly seated against the caves wall. These days he seemed like all he wanted was to keep the pack hidden and safe . Like that was ever going to happen without a fight.

"I believe the time for action is now!" came the hard, yet almost motherly voice of Gi-gan. "I have heard rumors that the royal family is plotting to wipe us out for good and I refuse to just sit here and wait to be slaughtered!"

This caught Hak and Jae-ha s attention as they gave each other a questioning look. Seems like they had missed out on quit a lot of the meeting.

One of the male werewolves, wearing a red bandana, named Maya spoke up, "How are we going to defend ourselves? I mean, all those guys have crazy weapons made with silver! We have no chance!"

"That s the Fire Tribe you idiot!"

"Ya, well we all know that the Fire Tribe is the main defense against us!"

"I thought that was the wall?"

"ENOUGH!" Gi-gan growled, before the argument carried any further. "I understand our disadvantage, but everyday more and more werewolves are killed. I won't accept this fate and neither should the rest of you!"

"Gi-gans really on edge tonight," Jae-ha whispered, whether he meant for it to be said out loud or just to himself, Hak wasn't sure.

"Than what are we going to do miss Gi-gan?" Rowen, one of the stronger werewolves asked.

Gi-gan paused before replying, "I have a plan. One of us will go in as a spy to hear exactly of these plans and then report back to us. We will see their attack coming and then ambush them. At the same time we will discover their weaknesses and use them to our advantage."

Hak s eyes went wide at her intentions. 'She plans to fight.'

Gasps and arguments flew, until Mandok stood up and made his way towards Gi-gan, using a walking stick to balance himself. "You've gone mad with revenge Gi-gan. This plan will never work."

All attention was directed at the two elders. Hak's hands balled into fists. 'Of cause, he would back down from the fight.'

The cave was silent, all attention focused on the two elders.

Gi-gan merely stared at him, body straight and eyes sharp.

"This ain't good Hak," Jae-ha whispered, eyes still fixed on the scene.

Hak ignored him, glaring at Mandok, trying to get into is head. 'What are you ganna do old man?'

Mandok came to a stop a few feet away from Gi-gan. "We cannot just send one of our own into enemy territory. Their soldiers will immediately see what they are and kill them."

"I had already considered that and I have a solution," Gi-gan added as she reached inside her faded, old robes. She took out a triangular charm attached to a piece of string.

"A neckless?" Hak stated in monotone, confusion. "She believes a neckless is going to protect us?" Hak started to turn around, ready to leave as the meeting had gone crazy, but was stopped by Jae-ha, who had caught his arm.

"I wouldn t speak so soon," Jae-ha muttered, causing Hak to look at him in the corner of his eye. "Gi-gan has always been truly accurate in her plans, I doubt she'd lose that streak now."

As if to support Jae-ha's words, Gi-gan raised the charm towards the crowd of werewolves and said, "This is a cursed item, with the power to hide a werewolf's powers!"

Suddenly everyone started to question her.

"I have had it since the years of the Crimson Witch. She gave it as a gift in case we ever needed it."

"Why? Why is it only now that you show us this Gi-gan?" Mandok demanded.

Gi-gan s eyes narrowed and fell on the charm in her hand. "This charm, it would have been useless to us. Only one person may use it and while wearing it, you lose your powers, rendering you mortal. I still don't know all it's secrets or how dangerous it is. But now I m afraid we need it." She suddenly turns her gaze onto Mandok. "If you will not protect this family than I will Mandok . Do not get in my way."

Mandok's eyes wavered for a moment and than looked away, slowly making his way through the other werewolves and out the cave. "I am old. I cannot stop you." He peers at her from over his shoulder. "But if you do this, I want no part in it. I will not help you."

The pack and Gi-gan stand in silence. "Mand- "

"I volunteer!"

Mandok's eyes grew wide at the tone of the familiar voice, turning back towards the cave. Everyone searching the cave for the owner of the voice. Until they gases fall to the back, where Hak stood in an almost bored manner. His arms crossed and his body leaning against the cave wall, but his eyes flashing with determination. Jae-ha, stared up at his friend in bewildment, after having fallen over from shock due to Hak's loud announcement.

"I volunteer," Hak repeats, pushing away from the wall and walking over to the center of the cave, where Gi-gan is standing. "You need someone who won't screw up and someone who has the skills to do it." Coming to a stop right in front of the old women, Hak smirks, "Sound s like I'm your guy."

"Hak?"

"YA! Hak will get the job done!"

"Better him than me I guess.. "

"You got this in the bag Hak!"

The encouragements and whispers continued as Hak stared blankly at Gi-gan who seemed to be still considering his offer.

"NO!" Mandok yells in a menacing voice. "HAVE YOU GONE INSANE YOU USELESS GRANDSON!? IF YOU THINK I M GOING TO ALLOW THIS, YOU GOT ANOTHER THIN- "

"It's my own choice. I m not a kid anymore old man. I'm doing this," Hak states, not even turning to look at his adoptive father.

"Hak."

"This mission won't be easy. You will be surrounded by the enemy and you will not be allowed to fight them. Are you sure about this Hak?" Gi-gan asks.

"...I am."

"Then it is settled."

* * *

"ARE YOU TRYING TO PISS ME OFF OR ARE YOU JUST CRAZY!?" Mandok screams away at his adopted grandson.

After the meeting, Hak was sent home to say good bye and prepare. At midnight, they would begin with the mission. The plan was that Hak would act as a traveler from the outskirts and had been attacked by werewolves, to which he barely escaped. The Sky Tribe's guards, that guarded the wall's gates, would witness the attack and rescue him and then the 'attackers' would run back into the woods. Currently Hak is packing essentials to make it more realistic.

"Nobody else would have been better for the job and you know it," Hak says, while stuffing some worn out clothes into an old bag. Each family had built small huts to stay in, but they didn't have many suppliers.

"AND YOU THINK THAT MAKES IT OKAY!?" a vain almost bursting from the old man s forehead. "I didn't want anyone to go and now I have to deal with the fact that my own flesh and blood is going off to DIE!?"

"Would ya stop with the yelling! I ll be fine and we aren't related, seriously what is with you and Jae-ha?"

"I found a decent looking scarf big brother!" came the small voice of Hak's little, step brother, Tae-Yeon. He had also been taken in by Mandok and was the youngest of the remaining Wind Tribe. He was very ill, but never complained.

Hak turned from his luggage and crouched down to the smaller boy's height and patted him on the head. "Thanks Tae-Yeon, you have to promise me that your ganna look after the old man, alright?"

To this the young boy nodded vigorously, before smiling up at Hak. "I won't let you down... but promise me that you'll be okay too."

"Always." Tae-Yeon searched Hak s eyes for any lies, before looking at his feet, tears threatening to fall. "Hey, I'm going to be fine and when I come back, we'll do whatever you want to do," Hak encouraged, hoping to cheer the small boy up.

Wiping his nose with his sleeve, Tae-Yeon sniffled, "O-Okay."

Ruffling the boy's hair, Hak smiled. "There's a brave kid!" Out of everybody, Hak was most worried about him, but he had to do this.

"Well," Hak sighed, getting up, taking his bag, the scarf and making his way towards the door. "I better get going," he said, opening the door, revealing a very annoyed Jae-ha, glaring dagger at him with his arms crossed. "...Maybe five more minutes," Hak decided as he shut the old, door, only to have Jae-ha's foot get in the way allowing him to storm inside.

"Are you INSANE?"

"Ugh, I feel like I've had this conversation before," Hak grunted.

"Well, I'm glad I m not the only one who thinks your nuts!" Mandok added.

"How could you do this to me!? Do you know how many stress lines I'm going to get out of worrying about you!?"

"So, your more upset about what affect this will have on you?" Hak raised an eyebrow.

"NO! YOU SELFISH ASSHOLE!"

"Ahem." Both men looked at Mandok. "I think you two better continue your conversation away from small ears," he said looking over at Tae-Yeon, who was currently cleaning up.

Hak and Jae-ah's eyes softened and both nodded, Jae-ha first leaving the hut.

"Hak." Hak turned around again to Mandok with an expectant look on his face. "I know I can't talk you out of this, so I won't. But if you don't come back I'll make, whatever those Fire Tribe warriors do, look like a fun time. You hear me!?"

Hak made a small smile and nodded before joining Jae-ha outside.

"I have no intention of changing my mind, so you might as well accept it," Hak stated walking passed Jae-ha.

"You are walking unarmed into the enemy's clutches Hak. How did you expect me to react? I'd like my friend to live a little longer."

"Live in fear of when the Sky Tribe is going to attack? Doesn't seem worth the time living to me Jae-ha."

Sighing in defeat, Jae-ha lifted his head and looked up at the moon. "I wish I was able to help you... something to ease my mind. You don't know what they are capable of, you haven t seen how cruel they can be."

Hak glanced at his friend from the corner of his eye. "Actually...There is one thing I'd like to ask you." Both men stopped walking, Hak, still facing away from Jae-ha. "Keep an eye on them, will you? Then at least I won't have to be worrying about them all the time."

".. I ll look after them."

"Thanks, droopy eyes, I owe you one," Hak said, walking off again, leaving Jae-ha behind.

"Look after yourself brother," Jae-ha whispered.

* * *

The celebration was going on splendidly. Music echoed around the room along with the delighted voices of the guests. All generals of the three great tribes: Water, Earth and Fire were attending the party including other nobles and duchesses and more of the king's closest friends. In all honesty Yona could have cared less for the other quests, with whom she had to greet and thank for attending. If anything, she would have liked there to be less girls at the party.

"I wonder is Soo-won fancies any of these types of women?" Yona unknowingly asked out loud, glaring at all the tall, curvy women.

"Are you still worried about that princess?" came the gentle voice of Min-soo.

Discovering that someone had heard her private thoughts, Yona's face flushed. "Wh-what are you still doing here Min-soo!? Don't you have things to clean!?"

"Actually, the king allowed me a break, forgive me if I overstepped myself."

Having calmed down a bit, Yona gave a big sigh and said, "Forgive me Min-soo, I didn't mean anything by it."

The young man just smiled at her in response. "You know, princess I think Sir Soo-won is the type of man to look past physical appearance. You shouldn't stress over such things."

The princess gave him a smile, ignoring the hidden message in his words that stated that she was indeed less attractive than the other girls. She was short and had a less curvy body, but she could work with that, if it wasn t for her red-

"Yona!" a cheery and ditsy voice called.

Yona immediately turned around to see the very man of her dreams walking towards her.

"So-Soo-won! H-how are you?" she asked awkwardly. She was always nervous around him these days.

The handsome blonde came to a stop in front of Yona with a big smile plastered around his face. "I'm wonderful, thank you. I must say you look beautiful. Time has passed so quickly!"

"Really!? Tha-thank you Soo-won!" the butterflies fluttering faster in her stomach. 'Soo-won thinks I'm beautiful!' Twirling a lock of her long hair, Yona shyly glanced up at her fiance'. "You look amazing too So- "

"And this party is amazing! It's been a while since I ve seen all the generals in one room." He looked around at all the other guests and continued to talk about the festivities.

Yona looked down sadly and noticed Min-soo gesturing her to say something to Soo-won. Deciding to be brave, Yona turned sharply to Soo-won and screamed, "SOO_WON!"

This however might have been a bit too loud as it caused the other guests to give her strange looks and almost scaring Soo-won out of his skin.

"Umm y-yes Yona?" he asked the now pink faced teenager.

"I-um-ah," she drastically looked around for something to say. "Would you like to dance?" she squeaked embarrassingly.

Soo-won stared at the reddening princess for a moment before smiling and replying, "Was that all that was about? I'd love to Yona."

With that he gently took her hand and lead her to the center of the room and started the dance.

The music was a sweet, slow melody and the voices in the background soon faded away as Yona fell into her dreamy thoughts. Their bodies were a few inches apart and he held her so gently around her waist as if she would break. All her senses were clouded by his sent and touch. This was how things were meant to be. A princess and her prince. She hoped it would never end.

Yona hummed in contentment, allowing Soo-won to control her movements as they danced. "You're doing really well Yona, I'm impressed," Soo-won complimented her as he twirled her around before bringing her back into his arms again. "It reminds me of when I used to teach you when we were children. Admittedly I wasn't the best teacher and we would end up falling a lot."

Yona let out a small giggle at the memory. "Yes, I'd say we've come a long way since then. Who would have known that in a few years time we would be engaged!"

Instead of the joyful expression she expected from him, Soo-won's smile slowly vanished. Had she said something wrong?

"Yes, I'm sorry about all of this Yona. Really I am."

A look of confusion and hurt appeared on Yona's face at his words. 'sorry?'

"I don't understand Soo-won. What do you mean by sorry?"

Her happy mood was decreasing the more the look of sadness and regret shown in Soo-won's eyes. "Soo-won?"

The said man hesitantly looked into her eyes. "Yona- "

Before Soo-won could continue his sentence, the doors of the room swung open, revealing a panicked, palace guard. The music stopped immediately and the dancing stopped.

"Your majesty!" one of the guards called out desperately.

General Joo-doh stepped forward and demanded, "What is the meaning of this!? Who said you could leave your post?"

"The- 'pant' there has been an attack sir! A pack of werewolves came from the outside the forest and were after a young man! He needs medical attention sir!"

Gasps could be heard around the room. 'A werewolf attack so close to the gates?' Yona held on to Soo-won tighter in fear of the thought.

Emperor II came from behind general Joo-Doh, who stood still in shock as well. It wasn't normal for an attack to be so close by.

"Bring him in", the emperor ordered.

There guard bowed and quickly ran out to assist the other guards to carry the large, injured man in.

Yona gasped at the sight of the tall, raven haired man. Bite marks were everywhere along with scratches. She had never seen so much blood before.

The king came up to the now laid down man and kneeled next to him. "Are you alright son? Can you speak?"

The young man slowly lifted his head to reveal piercing blue eyes. "Y- yes, yo-your majesty forgive me for - ugh - interrupting your pa-party," he managed to get out.

The emperor only shook his head and asked, "What is your name son?"

"Hak...my name is Hak."

"We are going to do whatever we can to help you Hak," reassured the emperor before he ordered the guards to call the medics.

As everyone watched the guards and medics attend to the stranger, Yona looked at him, catching his eyes for a second and felt a bad feeling creeping in. Just who was this man?

* * *

 

**Chapter 3 will be out soon. Let me know what you think!**

**Thank You!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Akatsuki no Yona or any of the characters!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 

It worked. The plan _actually_ worked. Well, than again, it was Gi-gan who had constructed the whole thing, so there shouldn't have been a doubt in his mind.

Still. ' _Couldn't the old hag have come up with a less painful plan!?'_

Hak groaned in discomfort as he lifted himself up, into a sitting position. He was currently in one of the palace's guest rooms. After the whole party incident, he had been carried to the infirmary to be treated, and it was now one of his most haunting memories. The doctor had to use painful herbs on him. It _stung!_ Not to mention the one nurse who had been a little _TOO_ handsy, while inspecting his injuries. _What was wrong with these people!?_ If he could have taken the damn necklace off, he could have healed on his own, but that of course meant that the plan would be ruined.

Gi-gan had concluded that merely escaping a werewolf attack without any injuries would seem kind of strange, so they would have to 'ruff him up a little'. _That was an understatement, they had nearly killed him_! No bones where broken, but Hak did get scratched and bitten, thanks to a certain wolf named, Tae-Woo. _Hak swore, that guy's fangs were sharper than his!_ At least he was able to convince the doctor to leave his necklace on, saying it had been given to him by his mother and he felt safe with it around his neck.

When they were finally finished with what they called 'medical care', Hak was escorted to one of the rooms to rest and was told that he would receive an audience with the king the next day.

"Great, now all I have to do is get on his good side and phase one will be complete," Hak whispered to himself.

Looking around the room, Hak took note of the, most likely, pricey furniture and colorful surroundings. A little too fancy for his taste, but then again maybe he just wasn't used to it, having to live off the land all his life.

' _Although, not all of it was so bad…for an enemy's bed it was really comfortable,'_ Hak thought as he flopped back down onto the bed with a sigh. The soft, feathered pillows cushioning his head and the cloud-like mattress comforting his sore body. Oh yes, he could get used to this.

Something caught his eye, in the far, left corner of the room. On a small dressing table, lay folded clothes.

"Guess they didn't like my clothes," Hak said, before rubbing a hand over his face and then getting up once again.

"Might as well get dressed up to meet 'his highness'.

* * *

"Come on Kija!" the crimsoned hair-colored princess whispered impatiently to her friend and body guard.

"I'm not so sure about this princess Yona…" he said nervously. "I'm positive that your father would disapprove of us interfering like this."

The young princess turned around to look at him, while he worriedly looked from side to side to make sure nobody saw them sneaking about.

"There is nothing to be nervous about, Kija! If anything, I'd have thought that you'd be proud of my sudden interest in the new comer?" she said, walking up to him. "After all, I am the soon-to-be-queen of Kyouka and therefore I should be suspicious of any outsider."

Kija, having satisfyingly seen that no one was near this side of the palace, sighed in relief and turned to look at the slightly annoyed princess.

"I am, princess Yona…. but for all we know, this man could be an assassin, who likes to kidnap poor, innocent princesses or! – or he could be some sort of escaped criminal, coming back for revenge by _killing_ the princess! And! – and what if he has a deadly plague and plans to infect you? …Oh! I can't believe I'm letting the princess walk into the awaiting, filthy clutches of a plague infested, princess snatching, criminal!

Having turned away, after his mini – panic attack, Kija managed to pull himself together, slapped his cheeks and with a determined expression, thought, ' _No! I cannot allow anything to happen to princess Yona!_ '

Turning around, Kija stated, with a stern voice, "princess Yona, forgive me, but I cannot allow you to do this dangerous task. Instead allow myself to carry out your…-?

Yona was nowhere to be found, having left during Kija's panic episode.

"Princess?" a confused Kija asked, eyes wide and searching.

Than another surge of panic ran through the flawless skinned man's body. "PRINCESS!?" And he began running down the palace halls. ' _What if it already happened!?'_ the worried knight thought. _'What if he had accidently missed her being kidnapped? What if she was already dead!? Oh, what a cruel world to have given her such a fate – it was all his fault!'_

At this point, Kija was sprinting down the halls, in a panic, screaming out the princess's name. "PRINCESS!"

"PRINCESS!?"

"PRINC – AHH!"

Falling head first onto the cold, hard floor, Kija realized that someone had grabbed him by the ankle. _'It must be the kidnapper!'_ Kija thought. He would gladly die for the princess, but not before avenging her death!

Looking back at his attacker, he was ready to see the face of pure evil, but was pleasantly surprised, and relieved, to instead, see the princess's pretty, yet annoyed one.

"PRINCESS!" Kija yelled out of relief, tears falling shamelessly down his cheeks. "I'm so glad you're alr -!"

He was interrupted by Yona's delicate, hand. "Sssh!" she said hurriedly. "We need to be quiet if we don't want to be caught."

Letting her hand fall from his mouth, Yona peeked around the corner, Kija, confusingly following her gaze.

Her attention was plastered on one of the guest rooms of the palace…the new comer's to be exact.

"I think we're safe…. Kija! Stay here and warn me if someone is coming! I'm going to take a closer look, she declared, already making her way, softly to the door.

"Of cause princ- WAIT! No!" He whispered frantically, catching up with her and blocking her path, before she got too close to the forbidden door.

"Kija!"

"I am sorry princess, b-but I cannot allow this!"

Getting fed up, Yona gripped the sides of her flower-patterned, kimono. "Kija, let me through! I only wish to peek inside and see what he's up to", she whispered back at him.

"Please understand princess Yona, why I cannot let you do this," he said, looking down at her. "I know! Why don't we go find Sir Soo-won!" He, personally didn't want to do that, but if it meant she would be safe from this possible criminal's clutches, then he was more than willing.

Having successfully been distracted for a moment, Yona casted her gaze to the floor. "No…. Soo-won is in a meeting with father and the generals." She had already tried to meet with Soo-won this morning, wanting to find out what he was going to say to her last night at the party.

" _I'm sorry about all of this Yona. Really, I am"_

' _What had he meant by that,'_ Yona thought.

"Princess?" Kija asked out of concern, braking her away from her thoughts.

Shaking her head, Yona decided that she would find out, but right now she had to do something about that bad feeling that had been bothering her ever since that new man showed up.

"It's nothing! Now, let me through, Kija!" she whispered stubbornly. She had always gotten what she wanted and today wasn't going to be any different.

"Now princess, please be reasonable," he begged, his heart breaking, because he couldn't give her what she wanted.

"Move aside Kija!"

"I c-cannot!"

The argument carried on for quite a while, both using hushed tones, so the man on the other side of the door couldn't hear them.

"Enough! Kija, I am the princess of Kyouka and you WILL let me do this!"

"Do what little miss?"

Both knight and princess jumped in surprise. Turning, they saw none other than the royal chef's assistant, Zeno.

Zeno was, in Yona's opinion, the most mysterious person in the palace. Not much was known about him, other than the fact that he was somehow connected to the royal family. The first time Yona had met him was when she was 8 years old. He had showed up, looking like a dirty, peasant, but was greeted with open arms by her father. Don't get the wrong idea, she liked him, especially his wife, Kaya, who became Yona's nanny. Zeno, on the other hand, became the chef's personal assistant, why, she had _no_ idea. He always ate everything!

"Z-Zeno! What are you doing here?" the on-edge, princess asked.

"The chef told Zeno to take a walk around the palace! Than Zeno heard someone scream and ran to help!" the golden-haired teenager explained with a smile on his face.

"Oh! That was me, Zeno. I tripped a while back," Kija said.

"Really? Kija should be more careful!"

Yona peeked over her shoulder at the new comer's door. At this rate, she will never be able to get the job done.

"What is the miss looking at?" Zeno asked rather loudly, causing Yona and Kija to cover his mouth out of panic.

"Hmm!?" Zeno's eyes wide, wondering what was going on.

"Please, do be quiet Zeno!" Kija whispered urgently. "There could very well be a murderer on the other side of that door and we don't want to alert him that we are here!"

Slowly releasing their hold on Zeno, he confusingly asked, "A murderer?"

"We don't know for sure, which is why I plan to investigate," Yona answered.

"No princess! Allow me to do this! As your knight, I shall do whatever it takes to keep you safe!"

"I said I would do it! And I don't plan on changing my mind!"

"But princess!"

"It's an order Kija! Now take Zeno and watch for-? Zeno?"

The young man was no longer beside the two, having casually walked over to the door out of curiosity. Reaching for the door handle, both Yona and Kija jumped at him.

"NOOO!"

 _ **BANG!**_ All three groaned in pain, having crashed through the door on top of each other, Zeno unfortunately at the bottom.

"Oww…" Yona moaned, rubbing her sore arm. Looking up, her gaze was blocked by two legs, dressed in blue robes. That bad feeling was back again. Slowly moving her gaze upward, Yona sat, looking up at the new comer's shocked face, before it turned into a blank one.

"Seriously?"

His voice was deep, Yona noticed and now that he was standing, he looked a lot taller than she remembered. He was no doubt a peasant; his hair was messy and his posture was awful. Focusing more on his face, Yona noted that he wasn't all that bad looking – of cause he was no Soo-won, but he was decent. Strong jaw, straight nose. His eyes stood out the most, a vibrant blue. Perhaps, he couldn't be all that bad?

"Hey!"

Waking from her thoughts, Yona realized that he was talking to her.

"Did you forget something? Or were you hoping to catch a glimpse of me changing?" the man asked in an annoyed voice, looking down at her.

She took it back, she didn't like him.

"Excuse me!?" she yelled at him. "Do you know who I am!?"

Hak looked her up and down, with his eyebrow raised. "The cleaning lady?"

Yona's face flushed with anger. ' _Cleaning Lady!?'_ "Why you!" She exclaimed, fists gripping her kimono.

Before she could continue, Kija started to scold the man, from underneath her. She had almost forgotten that they were there.

"How dare you talk to the princess that way!"

That caught Hak's attention, Yona smugly noted. 'Good! Now he'll have to apologize.'

However, instead, sudden laughter was heard, causing both Yona and Kija to glare at the man responsible.

"Ha-ha, princess huh? Pfft-ha-ha! Man, do I feel sorry for this kingdom! Having a pervert for a princess!" He laughed, holding onto his sides.

' _Per-pervert!?_ _How dare he!'_ Yona hastily picked herself off Kija and proceeded to glare daggers at the laughing jerk.

"Is that how you speak to your superiors?"

The laughter eventually died down and Hak straightened himself up again. "Superior? Please, like I'm going to go all out for some prissy girl," he said, making his way passed her and over the two men lying on the floor. "Now if you'll excuse me, 'your highness' I need to meet with the emperor."

Yona watched him leave, angry, but at the same time shocked. Nobody ever spoke that way to her before.

"How ungrateful! Your father saved him from possible death and this is how he treats a member of the royal family?" Kija muttered disgusted, before looking at the princess. "Pay no mind to that man, princess. He'll probably be gone soon."

Yona was still glaring down the hall, before sighing and turning to look down at Kija. "I suppose your right, Kija. Father will deal with him…. Umm… where is Zeno?"

A look of confusion formed on Kija's face before his eyes grew wide and he immediately stood up, to reveal an unconscious Zeno.

"ZENO!"

* * *

Walking down the palace halls, Hak frowned, thinking about his earlier visit. ' _That was really the princess? Heh, there really is no hope for these people.'_ Still, there was something that didn't seem right. That girl had red hair. Hak stopped in his tracks at this thought.

' _What did that mean? Could it be related to the Crimson Witch?'_

Hak shook his head and carried on walking. It wasn't impossible that one of the royals would inherit that hair colour. She would be somewhat related to the witch. That didn't change anything. All humans were the same.

Searching through all the rooms, Hak was starting to feel lost, weird considering he lived in a huge forest. But how was he supposed to find the king if he didn't know where to look? Should he have stayed in his room and waited for someone to fetch him. Probably.

Coming to a stop, Hak grunted in annoyance. At least he hadn't seen too many humans so far.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Hak turned to see a well-dressed man with long black hair. He held a kind smile, but his eyes were dead. A creepy feeling spiked through Hak. This guy was trouble, he could feel it.

"Yes?"

"You must be the visitor from last night. I trust you are feeling better?"

"Ya, my name's Hak."

"I see.." the man seemed to be trying to look right into Hak's soul.

Hak tensed slightly. 'Could he have figured it out? No way.'

"Well, my name is Kye-Sook. I am the emperor's advisor," he said, continuing to walk, gesturing for Hak to follow. "I expect you wish to see his majesty to thank him for his…kindness?"

"Yes," Hak didn't know what else to say. It felt like this Kye-Sook was testing him.

"Very well, the emperor is currently in a meeting with the generals and his brother and nephew. But I'm sure that he won't mind you joining them."

"Right …"

Kye-Sook lead Hak to two large doors. Knocking, Kye-Sook waited until he heard the emperor call out "enter", before stepping inside, leaving Hak alone.

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Hak looked back at the doors. He could do this. He _had_ to do this, his clan was counting on him.

A minute later, Kye-Sook stepped outside again. "The emperor will see you now."

Nodding, Hak made his way through the open doors. Inside, there was an enormous table, where the most important people of Kyouka sat. Each one staring at him.

Hak felt rage building inside him. Here were all the main people who had caused his pack suffering and pain and he couldn't avenge them. It was the perfect chance.

" _You will be surrounded by the enemy and not be able to attack them, are you sure about this?"_

Gi-gan's words echoed in his head and brought him back to the full picture. He can handle this. His revenge can wait a little longer.

Walking into the center of the room, Hak bowed low, before saying, "Your majesty, I wish to thank you for everything you have done for me. I am in your gratitude."

Hak could still feel the stares of all the people in the room.

"Please, Hak was it? Get up my boy, there is no need for all that."

Lifting his head, Hak turned his gaze to see the emperor smiling kindly at him from across the table.

Now that he wasn't in any real pain, Hak was able to get a good look at the emperor. He was shorter than most men and was chubby, with a round and kind face. _'This is the person behind my people's misfortune? He looks like a wimp.'_

Disappointment welled up inside him. ' _How humiliating'_.

"Your majesty you shouldn't be so chummy with the outsider! We don't know anything about him!" Joo-Doh yelled from his seat.

"He's right emperor II, it shows distaste for the leader of Kyouka to be so open with a stranger." The general of the water tribe, Joon-Gi, stated.

Hak had heard of him before. He wasn't the type that enjoyed fights and his clan was known for sitting them out. Instead, the Water clan was known for their vast knowledge and medicine. This however didn't mean that they supported the werewolves, in fact, they loathed them and anything else that proved to be impure.

The emperor gave a shame filled smile, before turning back to Hak. "How are your wounds? I trust our medics did everything they could to help you?"

Hak paled at the unwanted memory. "Yes, I feel much better sir."

"Ahh, a tuff guy huh?" the gruff and strong voice of the Earth tribe's, General Geun-Tae yelled with a smirk. "Must feel good to have escaped a werewolf attack! Not many people can say that you know!"

"General Geun-Tae, please! It must have been a very dramatic experience for the boy," emperor II said, trying to calm the excited general down.

"You must be one heck of a fighter to have escaped with such little injuries?" Geun-Tae continued, standing up from his seat, looking at Hak.

Hak had heard great stories of the Earth Tribe's general. He was one of the most feared among the wolves, having taken down so many. He had a reputation for his skill and was known to love a fight. He was a true warrior and would probably be the hardest to kill.

Forcing a smile, Hak replied, "I wouldn't say I'm useless, but I mainly ran for my life. Guess I was lucky."

"Heh, don't think for a second I believe ya!" Geun-Tae said, crossing his arms. "How about when you recover, we see some of your skills?"

The only way Hak would agree to that was if it was a fight to the death battle.

Instead of saying that out loud, Hak merely stayed quiet and looked at the emperor.

"Can you, for once, just think about something else besides fighting?" General Joo-Doh said, irritated.

"What can I say, I like what I like. And maybe, Joo-Doh, if you were a little less of a stick-in-the-mud, you would actually have a wife right now."

"WHAT HAS THAT GOT TO DO WITH ANYTHING!?"

"General Geun-Tae, general Joo-Doh please!" the king exclaimed helplessly.

"It's no use, your majesty. I gave up on them years ago," came the monotone reply of the Water tribe general.

Hak continued to watch the show in front of him. If this was what they were up against, he didn't have anything to worry about.

"Boy. Where was it that you said, you were from again?"

Hak's eyes grew wide. He knew that voice, as did most of the werewolves. His chest tightened with newly formed hatred and he fisted his hands, trying to contain it.

Looking in the direction of that voice, Hak looked into the eyes of the Fire tribe general, Soo-Jin. His clan were the ones that were responsible for the making of the silver weapons, having discovered the werewolves' weakness years ago. They had hated the Wind Tribe since the beginning and besides the royals, Hak blamed them mainly for what had happened to his pack.

"Swallowing down the curses that he wanted to yell at the Fire general, Hak replied, "I didn't sir."

Sitting straight up in his seat, Soo-Jin stared back at Hak with a stern expression. "I do believe that that would be something that his majesty would be interested in. Right emperor II?" He said, turning his gaze to the emperor.

"You're right. Hak?" the emperor asked gently.

Deciding it would be easier to talk without seeing the Fire bastard, Hak averted his gaze back to the emperor. "I come from the outskirts your majesty. My home had been victims of illness and poverty. I left it a long time ago."

Surprise showed in the emperor's eyes. "For a better life, I suppose?"

"…yes."

"I see…"

The king seemed to be thinking something over. Hak wondered if his story worked. It seemed like they believed him.

"It's decided."

Hak and the others all stared at the emperor.

"You shall stay here, in the palace and work for me."

' _Didn't see that coming,'_ Hak thought.

"Y-your majesty! Are you sure?"

"I am Joo-Doh. This man has nowhere to go and if he left, I'm sure the wolves would get him eventually."

"You're too kind, your majesty," General Soo-Jin said, though Hak wasn't sure if he meant it as a compliment.

"I would suggest you think about this some more, emperor II," Joon-Gi said, eyes closed.

"I already have and if he will accept, I am more than willing to allow him into my home."

Hak made, what he hoped was a relieved and grateful smile and bowed once more. "Thank you, your highness. I don't deserve your kindness."

The emperor smiled in response.

"What exactly will he do here in the castle, your majesty?" Asked general Joo-Doh.

Looking back at Hak, the emperor thought for a while, before replying, "I would like you to become one of my knights."

"… It would be an honor your majesty."

"HA! Looks like there will be a chance for us to have a friendly battle soon, Hak." General Guen-Tae said, getting a glare from Joo-Doh.

"Alright than. I think we have covered just about everything for this meeting? Thank you, generals, for meeting with me today. Until next time," the emperor concluded, getting up from his seat and making his way to the doors. "Hak, heal up for today, we shall talk more about your job later."

Hak bowed and watched the king leave the room, followed by the other men in the room. In the corner of his eye, Hak noticed someone who had yet to say anything. Slowly making his way out the room was a tall, built man with a cold expression. Hak recognized him as the emperor's older brother, Yu-Hon. They looked nothing alike. It was hard to believe they were related.

Yu-Hon walked passed Hak without a word, joining the other generals outside the meeting room.

Hak watched him leave. 'Wonder what's his problem?'

"Hello."

Hak turned around to see a blond man around the same age as himself, smiling at him. He merely raised an eyebrow in response.

"My name is Soo-won. Nice to meet you," he continued.

"Hak," he replied. He must have missed this guy when he first came in. Strange, he defiantly stood out. He couldn't be one of the generals, could he?

"You really gave us all a shock at the celebration last night. I'm surprised you are back on your feet so quickly!" he said obviously impressed.

A sweat drop formed on Hak's head. "Ya, well, it was only a few cuts and bruises."

"Still, you must have been fast to get away from that many werewolves. I've never seen one up close before myself. What was it like?" Soo-won asked excitedly.

If there was one word Hak would use to describe this guy, it would be 'girly'.

"I don't really remember most of it, it's all kinda a blur really." Hak said, hoping the guy would lose interest and go away.

"Oh, well I guess that would be understandable." Soo-won smiled. "Hak, why don't I show you around the castle. I'll introduce you to some of the people too?"

"Huh? You live here too?"

Soo-won lead the way out of the room, guiding Hak down the halls.

'Well at least I won't get lost this time,' Hak thought.

"No, I don't, but I visit quit often. You see, the emperor is my uncle."

That surprised Hak. That would mean that that sour looking guy, Yu-Hon would have to be his father. Hak mentally compared the hard, grumpy face of Yu-Hon to the girly and smiling face of Soo-won. ' _Never would have guessed._ '

"I see…forgive me for being rude."

"No-no it's alright really. I didn't expect you to know who I was." He reassured.

The two men continued walking, Soo-won giving Hak a tour of the palace and eventually Hak felt less lost than he did this morning.

"Sir Soo-won!" one of the maids called.

Hak and Soo-won stopped to turn to the old women.

"Is there a problem?" Soo-won asked kindly.

"Forgive me for disturbing you sir, but your father is calling for you!"

"Ah, thank you, I will be right there."

Turning back to Hak, Soo-won gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry I should see what he wants. I'll be right back."

Hak nodded in reply watching Soo-won leave in the direction the maid had come from.

He wasn't exactly sure what to make of that guy. One thing was for sure, he didn't have to worry about fitting in around here if the nephew of the emperor trusted him. Maybe he could use this to his advantage?

Stretching his arms out, Hak decided that he would have to sneak out at night to inform Gi-gan of his progress. ' _Bet she wouldn't believe how easy it was to get in the palace.'_

"LOOK OUT!"

Hak turned his head towards the scream and his bored expression was replaced with one of shock, before he was knocked to the ground by some lunatic.

Ignoring the stars dancing around his head, Hak grumbled, "What the he-?"

His mouth was slapped shut, by his attacker's hand.

Glaring up at the person on top of him, Hak noticed something familiar. Red hair. It was that stupid princess again. What was it with her? Always making this sort of entrance.

He noticed that she seemed to be worried about something and followed her gaze.

Not far from them, was a strict-looking, elder women, searching for someone…he guessed that 'someone' was the princess. Soon the old women turned, figuring that the princess was indeed, not there, and left to look somewhere else.

Lowering her guard the princess released a relieved sigh. After getting Zeno to the palace doctor, Yona had been spotted by her tutor, whom she had skipped to spy on Hak earlier that day. Her tutor wasn't the kindest of people and in fact hated Yona and Yona shared the same feelings toward her.

Kija had helped to distract her tutor, allowing Yona to make a run for it, but she had already been spot out.

An annoyed cough reminded Yona that she was still sitting on the person that she had run into.

Removing her hand, Yona turned to her victim. "I'm so sorr-! Oh, it's just you." She said in irritation. She still hadn't forgiven him for being so rude to her.

A vain threatened to snap out of Hak's forehead. ' _What was wrong with this girl!?_ '

"Could you get OFF! Damn how much to you weigh!?"

Yona's face flushed with anger at the insult. Seems he still hadn't learnt any manners.

"Idiot! I'm as light as a feather! It's you, who just isn't strong enough!" she hissed.

"That's how you say sorry to someone you just knocked down!?"

"You're not worth the apology! Besides it was your fault!"

"You ran into me, idiot!"

"Ya… well… what are you even still doing here anyway!?" she finished lamely.

"I just got back from the king, for your information! Looks like I'm staying."

That caused the princess to shut up for a second.

"St-staying?"

Hak rolled his eyes in annoyance. Seemed like she was never going to get off.

Sighing in defeat, Hak looked up at the princess, who was currently still letting his words sink in.

"You alright up there princess?"

He got no reply.

"Look, I know I'm probably the best, looking guy you've ever seen, but it's no excuse to use me a sea-OW!"

Snapping out of her raging thoughts, Yona hit him on the head, not hearing his last comment.

"What was that for!?"

"hmph," the princess hummed at him, before smiling, causing Hak's heart to jump and blush slightly, to his bewildment.

' _What the?'_

"That was my revenge!" she explained.

"Huh?" the poor werewolf in disguise dumbly asked.

"For earlier and that weight comment. Since you are going to be staying in the castle, I suppose we should start over."

Looking at the girl on top of him with a blank look, Hak concluded that she was just crazy.

"Are you always this weird princess, or is it just around men?"

This however, resulted in another head slap.

"OW!"

"Ungrateful!"

"Yona?"

For a moment, Yona swore her heart stopped beating. Looking up from Hak, she saw Soo-won staring surprised at them. Realizing what their position must have looked like, Yona abruptly got off Hak and went to stand close to Soo-won.

"I-it's not what you think! You see I fell and-and he was in the way and- the tutor- "

"I see you have already made a friend, Hak." Soo-won said, smiling at them. "I'm glad you two are getting along Yona!"

"I wouldn't use the term 'frie- hmf!"

Yona laughed nervously, hand once again, covering Hak's mouth. "That's right! We just made our peace a moment ago!"

"Peace?" Soo-won asked confusingly.

"Nothing!" the princess smiled sweetly at her fiancé, while Hak managed to free his mouth.

"I'm glad." Soo-won gave in.

Hak looked from the princess to Soo-won. ' _These two could be my ticket to being fully trusted into this tribe.'_

"So, Soo-won, would you like to have lunch with me?" Yona asked excitedly. It was clear to Hak that she seemed to have a thing for the blond.

"Sounds like good a idea, I am kind of hungry," Soo-won said, rubbing behind his head with a smile, before turning to Hak. "Won't you join us, Hak?"

He raised his eyebrow and looked at the princess. "You sure I'd be welcome?"

Yona's eyes looked up at him and said, with a respectful tone, "I suppose, if you promise to behave yourself."

Hak snorted at her words, causing her to twitch in annoyance. "Same goes for you princess."

Soo-won merely laughed at his old and new friend.

Walking behind the two royals towards the dining room, Hak wondered how he got himself into this mess. He knew he would have to become friendly with the enemy along the way, but it still felt weird.

Closing his eyes for a minute, Hak decided that he should be grateful. This would make things a lot easier for him.

Looking back at the young man and women in front of him, talking happily together (most likely about the food), Hak could only think of one thing.

' _Humans were really strange.'_

* * *

 

**I decided to keep Soo-won's father alive for the sake of the plot. Hope that's alright!**

**I plan to use as many of the characters in the manga as possible, so don't be surprised if you guys, who haven't read the manga, see names you don't know.**

**Hope you liked it!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Akatsuki no Yona and I never will!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hak meets a few of his new teammates and gains a weapon.

**Chapter 3**

 

_"I love you. D-don't you ever forget that."_

_"I don't understand. Who are you?"_

_The women kneeling in front of him only smiled sadly at him, tears glistening in her blue eyes, but refused to fall. 'She's trying to be strong,' the young boy thought. But why? For him?_

_A strangled cry was heard in the distance and suddenly the young boy took note of his surroundings. He was standing in what he recognized to be the remain_ _s_ _of a cart, with a tattered old blanket covering him, only revealing his face._

_It was dark. The streets looked destroyed. He couldn't see one house that was still standing. The air was heavy with a strange, metallic scent._

_Blood._

_A rush of fear ran through the child and he stared wide-eyed at the women._ _He couldn't see her face, the only thing visible was her eyes and her outline._

_"Where am I? What's happening?" He pleaded for answers._

_"You're going to be alright, but you need to stay quiet."_

_"Why aren't you answering me!? Tell me what's going on!" he cried, the fear only increasing._

_The women ignored his plea and straightened herself up and slowly touched his cheek. "Ssh."_

_"I THINK I HEARD SOMETHING OVER THERE! HURRY MEN, THIS WAY!"_

_The women glanced nervously behind her, before looking back at the covered child._

_"I-I need to go now. Stay here. Everything's going to be okay," she said softly, an urgency in her voice._

_"Where are you going!? What's happening!?"_

_"I'll be right back. Don't worry."_

_'She's lying,' he thought._

_"Don't leave me! Please! I don't understand!"_

_Leaning down, she kissed his forehead,_ _then_ _pushed him to lay down, using the blanket to hide him, but he still peeked out at her, fear evident in his eyes._

_"I SEE HER, SHE'S OVER HERE!"_

_She gave him one last look, A single tear escaping from her eyes._

_"Please be safe," she whispered to him before she started running towards the voices._

_"NO! WAIT!" he screamed, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. He felt so lost. He wanted her to come back. He didn't want to be alone, but was too frightened to get up. To_ _o_ _afraid_ _to_ _follow her._

_He heard a scream. Somehow he knew it was her. She wasn't coming back. He was alone._

_Tears rolled down his face and he curled up tightly, fists clenching the blanket._

_"Somebody, please!" he cried. "Help me!"_

* * *

Hak's eyes shot open. He felt restless. His body was covered in sweat, his breathing heavy. Lifting one arm to rest on his chest, he tried to calm his fast-beating heart.

It was another nightmare.

He seemed to be having a lot of them lately, but they always revolved around the same scene. He knew that it had something to do with the attack a few years ago, when the werewolves were hunted and slaughtered. Flashbacks perhaps.

However, he couldn't remember a lot from the experience. The day he had been found by Mundok, he had remembered nothing and had been injured pretty badly. It was only later that he remembered what the king had done, but he couldn't remember what had happened to his parents.

Taking a deep breath, Hak looked up at the ceiling. It had been one week since he came here. Since he came to live with the enemy. He thought it would have been harder to sneak into the castle and gain their trust, but they were surprisingly kind. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was a 'werewolf victim'.

Snorting at the thought, Hak rolled onto his side and closed his eyes, deciding to go back to sleep.

The silence was interrupted by loud knocking. Groaning in annoyance, Hak pulled the covers over his head in an attempt to drown out the unwanted noise.

"I know you're awake Hak! Save us both the hassle and get up!" Joo-Doh yelled through the door.

What was that guy's problem? Ever since the emperor announced that Hak would be staying at the castle, that general had been barking orders and keeping an eye on him non-stop.

"Go away!" came the grumpy reply of the werewolf-in-disguise. The sun wasn't even up yet. There was no way that he was going to get out of his bed.

An annoyed sigh could be heard from outside the room.

It was quiet after that and Hak almost thought that he had given up, until the doors swung open with a **'** _ **bang!'**_

At the sound, Hak shot up in his bed and glared at the general who glared right back at him.

"What the fuck!?"

Joo-doh's eye's narrowed at the curse. "We will have to work on your speech if you are going to be living in the palace.

Hak just rolled his eyes at him and climbed out of bed.

"Whatever," he said as he walked over to the dresser and took out his new clothes he was provided with. "Is there a reason you woke me up this early?"

"Yes, today we will be starting your training as a knight."

Hak's movements paused for a second. He had almost forgotten that the price for staying here was becoming one of the emperor's knights. He was a good fighter, but then again, the fighting style that he was used to was werewolf based. He was pretty sure that that style wouldn't help him much at this point. Even his super-human strength was gone thanks to the necklace, but his own human strength was still pretty good.

"You couldn't have waited till sunrise?"

"I wanted to have a head start," he stated, already walking out of the room. "When your ready, meet me at the training grounds. Don't take too long."

Wordlessly, Hak turned to his window and looked out towards the forest. The wall that separated Kyouka from the forest blocked most of the view, but Hak could still see it.

' _I wonder how everyone's doing?'_ he thought.

Sighing, Hak went back to dressing. He didn't really have time to feel homesick. He had a job to do.

* * *

Stepping out onto the Kyouka castle's training grounds, Hak mentally told himself that he had nothing to worry about. He could take whatever they shot at him.

Looking around he noticed that it wasn't just Joo-doh that had been waiting for him. It looked like the entire army was here. Each one eyeing him down with either curious or arrogant looks.

The capital of kyouka's army, although it should be, was not the kingdom's strongest defense. That title belonged to the Fire Clan, ever since they discovered the werewolves' weakness.

Hak was pretty sure he could take on any of these guys and win….however now that he didn't have his powers, the fight might take a _little_ longer.

"Why the audience? Don't trust me enough to be alone with me?" Hak asked, staring straight at Joo-Doh.

Always the stern-faced, Joo-Doh merely walked up to Hak, following behind him were two other knights.

"Since you are going to be joining us as a fellow knight, I figured it would be a good idea for you to meet them. Now, shall we begin your training?"

Nodding, Hak followed the Capital's scarred-faced, general to stand in the middle of the training area.

"Today we are going to establish what skills you have to offer the capital's army and what you are lacking at the same time."

Joo-Doh called for the two knights that had been standing next to him a while ago, to accompany him on the field.

Gesturing to the bigger knight, Joo-doh said, "This is Katsu. He is one of our strongest warriors. His talents lie in his weapon skills."

Katsu towered over Hak and that alone said something. The bearded man looked like he was made of muscle and he seemed to know that he was intimidating with how he was smirking down at Hak. His long sword hung loosely against his hip. It was much longer and thicker than the other knight's swords, looking more like a huge butcher knife. The leather at the top looked old and worn out.

' _He's obviously had many battles with it,'_ Hak thought to himself, eyeing the sword with distaste.

"Beauty ain't she?" the gruff voice of Katsu said.

Hak looked back up at the smirking man. The itch to punch his teeth out only becoming stronger.

"She?"

"My sword. I ain't ever lost with 'er!" he boasted. "Don't ya worry pretty boy, I promise teh go easy on ya!" He laughed.

Before Hak could get another word in, Joo-doh directed his attention to the other knight.

As soon as Hak saw him, he immediately recognized him from his first morning at the palace.

"Hey it's you! You were with those other two when you crashed into my room."

The silver-haired, 20-year old man only glared at him.

"This is Kija. He doesn't look like it, but he can overpower any opponent. He's the strongest knight I have when it comes to physical strength."

Hak was taught, by his adopted grandfather, to never underestimate an opponent, however, he couldn't help but be a little surprised by this guy. He was much shorter than Hak, but that wasn't so surprising, Hak had always been tall, but Kija definitely didn't look like the fighting type. He had fair skin and was pretty skinny. Sure, he had muscle, but to be honest, the man looked more feminine, not exactly the ideal picture of a knight.

"Well, now that the introductions have been made, I guess we should begin. You will take on both Katsu and Kija," Joo-doh announced, before handing Hak a sword.

Hak's eyes widened at Joo-doh's words. "Wait. You want me to fight your strongest fighters on my first training session!?"

It was faint, but Hak was sure that he saw a smirk forming on Joo-Doh's face before he turned to stand among-st the other knights.

"I'm sure you can handle it. After all, you did take on a pack of werewolves, right? This should be easy."

' _Bastard_ ,' Hak hissed in his mind. Figures that story would come back to haunt him.

"You do realize that I didn't actually fight those werewolves, right? I only _just_ managed to escape."

"Details," Joo-Doh said in an off-missive tone.

It was obvious that there was no chance of getting out of this. Sighing in defeat, Hak took his position on the opposite side of the grounds, mirroring his opponent, which seemed to be Katsu, the bigger of the two. Interesting.

Holding up his sword the way he had seen many soldiers do before, Hak stood in what he hoped was the correct battle stance. Why hadn't Gi-gan considered the idea that he might need to learn swordsmanship?

Katsu was still smirking at him from across the field. Overconfidence shinning in his eyes.

"This is purely training!" Joo-Doh's loud and authoritative voice yelled out, looking from Hak to Katsu. "I will call off the fight when I see that either fighter has reached their limits. No fowl play! Do you understand!?"

Both men nodded, eyes never leaving each other.

"BEGIN!"

Katsu started circling Hak, his sword drawn, held tightly, while Hak mirrored his movements.

"Hehe, ya should be honored! Having me as ya first opponent!" Katsu snarled.

Hak made no attempt to answer him and instead focused on the bigger man's movements, his body language and his sword. One wrong move and that thing could cut off his head.

Katsu snickered at him, never once stopping his movements.

"What's a matter? Too scared teh say anything?" He teased. "Don't worry..." Suddenly Katsu's movements changed and he charged at Hak. "I'LL MAKE THIS QUICK!"

Hak's eyes widened at the unexpected slash of Katsu's long sword, only barely dodging it by ducking and stumbled backwards to get some space between them.

Katsu's slashes, however, didn't stop and he continued to throw strong swings at the younger man, his eyes alight with laughter. This was merely child's play to him.

All Hak could do was try and dodge the fast slashes of the over-sized butcher knife.

The knights, that stood on the sidelines, all watched with curious eyes and cheered for Katsu. Kija, who stood alongside Joo-Doh, kept his eyes on Hak, his eyebrows knit together.

"Are you certain it was a good idea to have him fight Katsu, General Joo-Doh? He does tend to go overboard and this new guy doesn't seem to have any experience."

Joo-Doh never shifted his gaze from the fight. "I have my reasons."

Kija stared confused at the scarred man, before returning to look at the two males sparring. ' _I hope you know what your doing.'_

A pained scream ripped through Hak as another swing of the older man's sword slashed his arm, the blood starting to seep through the material of his sleeve. Running backwards, Hak noted that the wound wasn't too deep, just a scratch. It hurt, but he'd had worse.

Laughter erupted from Katsu's mouth, standing a good distance away from Hak.

"So it was true! Looks teh me like all ya _can_ do is runaway!" He mocked as Hak glared at him, gripping his sword tightly.

Most of the other knights joined in on the laughter.

What should he do? He wasn't familiar with the sword and he can't just keep running away. If only he could just remove the necklace and use some of his-No! He could do this and he could do it without his powers.

Taking a deep breath, Hak straightened himself and lifted his sword, pointing at Katsu, eyes determined. ' _No more running away.'_

Katsu looked at him with an amused grin. "Oh, getting heroic now are ya?"

Cheers of excitement could be heard from the other knights.

Hak remained quiet, focusing on the way Katsu moved and how he positioned his sword, trying to find something that would help him.

Katsu chuckled at Hak's serious expression. "Still ain't gonna talk huh? That's how ya wanna do this?"

Kija's hands clenched into fists. He knew that look all to well on Katsu's face. This battle was about to end and Hak was not going to come out unscratched.

Lifting his sword high, Katsu started running towards Hak once again, a mad look on his face. "Alright, I'LL PLAY!"

Hak's sword shifted and his eyes focused. ' _GOTCHA!'_

It all happened so fast. Just as Katsu reached Hak, his sword made to go high, but in the blink of an eye, Katsu changed his position and swung low, aiming for Hak's leg, but instead of the expected pained cry, came the sound of steel against steel.

"Huh?" Katsu blinked a few times, staring down at Hak, then trailed his eyes down to look at his sword, whose path had been stopped by Hak's own sword.

'He..blocked my attack," Katsu thought in disbelieve. 'How'd he know where I was gonna strike?'

It was silent, the other knights looked at the scene in amazement. They all knew that it was nearly impossible to block one of Katsu's strikes.

Hak's hold was firm as he stared calmly up at Katsu.

"H-how?"

Smirking up at his opponent, Hak kept his stance. Although smaller, his sword never shook under the weight of Katsu's larger on. "Easy. I figured out your strategy."

Katsu only continued to stare.

"You try to confuse your opponent, by making them expect the wrong move," Hak continued to explain. "But you hesitate the smallest bit before striking. Honestly I wouldn't have noticed it if it wasn't for those first blows."

Gasps could be heard from the knights. An amused grin forming on Joo-Doh's face.

Shaking his head, Katsu broke the lock and retreated a few steps.

"Beginner's luck," Katsu spat, brushing his shock off, before getting into another battle stance. "Don't expect me teh let it happen again!" He yelled as he went in for another strike, faking a left and instead going right.

Yet again, Hak dodged the slash and before Katsu could turn to face him, Hak swung his sword with such force the wind went with it and knocked Katsu's sword out of his hands, landing 10 feet away from him. The massive sword creating a loud noise at it hit the ground.

Nobody said a word as they stared at the 'unbeatable' sword.

Katsu's face paled and his body started to shake. "I-I lost?"

Kija's mouth fell open at the sight. Had that really happened. Peeking over at Joo-Doh, Kija noticed that he also seemed to be surprised.

"Did you see that!? That guy beat Katsu!" one of the knights exclaimed.

"It-it was so fast...li-like lightning."

"Man, how could Katsu loose so easily?"

More remarks were made, mostly stunned.

Kija smiled slightly. This guy was a mystery. Rude and no respect for royalty, but he surely had talent.

"What do you think?"

Kija looked at Joo-Doh who was smiling in Hak's direction.

"Sir?"

Turning to look at the silver-haired man, Joo-Doh said, "Do you think he'll be a good asset to the team?"

Kija's eyebrow twitched as he had a flashback of when he first met the man. "Uhh, yes, if he were to learn his place, I',m sure." Looking over the general's shoulder, Kija's blood went cold, when he spotted Katsu.

Lowering his sword, Hak took a deep breath. ' _I did it.'_ Turning away from Katsu, Hak started to make his way back to Joo-Doh.

"Y-you BASTARD!"

Stopping in his tracks, Hak looked back at Katsu, who was rushing towards him, fists out-stretched. Body tensing at the sight, Hak made to move his sword for defense, but was shocked to see Kija already standing between the two, arms outstretched and firmly holding Katsu's in place.

"I would think that that's enough of that, wouldn't you say Katsu?" Kija said slowly, his tone leaving no room for arguments.

Katsu glared down at the shorter man who was restraining his arms. Kija's eyes never wavered as he stared up at Katsu before twisting one of the man's arms.

Katsu screamed in pain, before Kija threw him down, arms out in front of him, revealing metal bindings beneath his long sleeves.

' _Strange,'_ Hak thought, wondering what their purpose was.

"This ain't none of ya business Kija!" Katsu snarled, making to get up, but Hak noticed how he held his arm in pain. ' _Just how strong is this Kija guy?'_

"That's enough, all of you."

Hak turned to see Joo-Doh making his way towards them, a scowl on his face.

"Looking at Katsu, Joo-Doh ordered, "I'll talk with you later."

Katsu looked down, avoiding his general's gaze.

"Kija, you and the rest of the knights head back to your posts."

"At once, sir." Kija replied.

This caught Hak's attention. "Hey! Hold on a second. What about me taking on Kija?"

Joo-Doh allowed a small smile to appear on his features. "There's no need," he said as he walked passed Hak and back towards the corridors. "I've seen enough. I should go and report back to his majesty. Take it easy for now."

Raising his eyebrow, Hak continued to stare dumbly at the departing general. "That's it?" he asked, as the other knights walked passed him, but now looked back at him with awe and amazement.

His attention was brought back to Katsu when said man shoved him with his shoulder, passing him and glared at him over his shoulder.

' _Guess he doesn't like me,'_ Hak snorted.

Glancing down at the sword in his hands, Hak smirked to himself, before following the others towards the corridor, not noticing the figure watching him from one of the palace's balconies.

* * *

Yona yawned as she grazed the brim of her tea cup. She was currently sitting and having afternoon tea with her father, uncle and Soo-Won. She was bored. Normally she would love any opportunity to be with her fiance', but this was pure torture.

Her father was going on about something to do with the harvest or whatever-she wasn't really paying attention. Soo-Won was politely listening to him and adding his own comments on the subject, while her uncle, Yu-Hon grumpily sipped his tea.

Setting her tea cup back on the small table, Yona let out a small sigh, catching the attention of the other royals sitting around her.

"I'm sorry Yona, are we boring you?" Soo-won's apologized.

Snapping her eyes open, Yona blushed and replied, "What!? N-no of cause not Soo-Won!"

Emperor II chuckled kindly at his daughter's embarrassment. "I suppose it isn't the most exciting of topics. Umm, how are your lessons coming along with the private tutor? You know, they say she's the best in the field?"

Yona smiled nervously, remembering her last encounter with her tutor. She still hadn't gone for her lessons, but it probably wasn't the best time to mention that.

"G-great father," she answered with a fake laugh, before turning her gaze to Soo-Won. "Is your tea cold Soo-Won? Would you like me to call the servants to make you a new cup?"

Soo-Won laughed at her antics and patted her head. "Your too kind Yona! Such a good girl." he happily complimented, not noticing the annoyed blush of the princess or the depressed look of the emperor who realized his daughter held no interest in starting a conversation with him.

The loud clanking of Yu-Hon's tea cup being set down, alerted the other three royals to stare at the oldest family member.

Yona felt a chill go up her spine. She never felt comfortable around her uncle. He was nothing like Soo-Won or her father.

Emperor II's startled expression relaxed into his usual calm one again as he looked at his brother. "Everything alright brother? Your awfully quiet today."

Yu-Hon narrowed his eyes at his younger brother. "Actually, I was wondering how things were going with that newcomer. What was his name."

"Hak," Soo-Won excitedly piped in. "Have you met him yet father?"

"No, I haven't had the pleasure." His eyes trailed to Yona. "But I take it that the two of you have become quite close with him."

Yona huffed in annoyance. How did the conversation go from bad to worse? She still found Hak _incredibly_ annoying and rude after the decision to become friends with him was made. All he ever did was insult her. It didn't help that Soo-Won seemed to enjoy his company more than her own.

"Something wrong Yona?" Yu-Hon asked.

"Huh!? Oh! N-no uncle. I-I'm fine." Yona squeaked, not daring to look him in the eyes as he continued to stare her down.

"Well, know that you mention it, I heard, from Joo-Doh, that he has got some amazing fighting abilities." Emperor II happily said, oblivious to the tension between his daughter and brother.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from someone who escaped a werewolf attack, especially Hak," Soo-Won said enthusiastically.

Yu-Hon released his gaze from the princess and turned to the two men. "Yes, I was watching from the balcony this morning. His skills are...interesting."

"Seems to me like he will be a great establishment to the capital's knights!" the emperor said.

"Yip, you sure can pick em," Yona said sarcastically, leaning her head in her hands, but nobody seemed to hear her.

* * *

Some time later, Yu-Hon and Soo-Won were walking back to their rooms, having finished their tea moments ago.

"Soo-Won. Hak, is he a new friend of yours?" Yu-Hon asked, breaking the silence.

Soo-Won glanced at his father as they walked, surprised at the strange question. "Yes father. Um, why do you ask?"

Yo-Hon carried on walking, his eyes looking forward. "Good. I want you to keep an eye on him."

Coming to a stop, Soo-Won hesitated before asking, "Why the sudden interest?"

Stopping his steps, Yu-Hon looked back at his son. "I think he could be a valuable fighter. That's all."

Soo-Won shifted his gaze to the floor, a frown on his face. "I see.."

"The princess seems to be quite taken with you. Almost embarrassingly so."

Soo-Won's head shot up at the statement, before swallowing and starting to make his way down the hallway to his room once more, passing his father.

"It's only a small crush."

"Soo-Won."

The younger boy turned to look back at his father.

"Don't start to choke now."

Soo-Won's eyes widened for a second, before turning to continue his walk.

"I won't."

* * *

Hak lay outside the castle, relaxing on the ground and listened to the sounds of nature. One arm under his head, the other laying on his stomach. It was late in the afternoon and he was enjoying his free time alone.

His arm still stung a bit, having been slightly cut by Katsu's sword a few hours ago. Guess he should consider himself lucky to have walked away with only that injury. Although, by the looks of it, he may need to keep an eye out for that Katsu guy in the future. He didn't seem to like the fact that he lost to a newbie.

Lifting his hand, Hak reached inside his shirt and pulled out the necklace that kept his powers hidden, tracing the edges.

' _Wonder how long I can keep this whole act up?'_ He thought.

"Interesting necklace. Has it got some special meaning to you? The shape is different than others I've seen."

Hurriedly sitting up, Hak turned to see Kija leaning down, staring at him. He hadn't even heard him walk over here. Damn, these human senses were dull. He still had to get used to them.

"What do you want?" he asked, placing the necklace back into his collar.

Kija glared at him. "I see your attitude hasn't changed much since you first came to the palace."

Hak rolled his eyes and looked straight ahead of him, towards the view of the outside land. He really didn't feel like kissing up to any humans right now.

Kija ignored the taller man's bad mood and made to sit down next to him.

"...Your fighting skills...they are impressive."

Hak looked at Kija from the corner of his eye for a second, before looking forward once more, remaining quiet.

"Who taught you how to fight? I don't recognize your fighting style."

Hak still remained silent.

Starting to get annoyed at being ignored Kija yelled, "Is this how you say thank you or is there no gratitude for saving you back in the training grounds!?"

Giving out an annoyed and tired sigh, Hak finally answered. "Alright," he said, closing his eyes. He'd rather not look at him right now. "Not that I don't think that I couldn't of handled it myself, but thanks."

Great, now he was thanking the enemy. Just how much further would he sink?

Kija decided to ignore the first part of Hak's 'thank you', since it was probably the best he was going to get.

"Your welcome."

For a moment they were silent again, both looking towards the out-lands.

"Here."

Hak turned to face Kija holding out an apple towards him.

Raising an eyebrow, Hak felt the need to ask whether the apple was poisoned or not.

"Just take it, my arm is getting tired!"

Hak's stomach decided for him, when it grumbled in hunger. Defeated, Hak slowly took the apple and sniffed it before taking a large bite, earning a strange look from Kija, before he too took a bite out of his own apple.

Yet again, Hak caught a glimpse of the metal bindings around Kija's wrists.

"What's with the bindings? You into heavy jewelry?"

Kija paused in his chewing and looked at his wrists, before lowering the apple and swallowing.

"They are my weapon of choice."

Kija seemed to think that statement served as an answer, but it only further confused Hak.

"Weapon of choice?" he repeated, staring at the bindings. "You mean you don't use a sword?"

"No, I've never been able to master the sword." he said as he traced over the bindings on his one hand absentmindedly. "As you heard earlier, my talent is to do with physical strength."

Hak scratched the back of his head in a confused manner. "Yeah, but when up against swords or werewolves, just being strong won't get you very far."

This seemed to amuse the silver-haired man, a smile forming on his lips. "Trust me, I make do."

Hak lowered his hand and stared at him slightly irritated.

Noticing this, Kija carried on with his explanation. "You see, my home has a gift of upper body strength, specifically in our arms and hands. We train from very young to master this strength and use it to our advantage."

"So what? Is your home made up of super strong warriors or something?"

Kija's eyebrows knit together as he tried to find a way to explain. "No, we are quite normal, like any other place in the Kyouka kingdom. But our ancestors used to be a great warrior tribe and we take great pride in it. To honor our forefathers, my home likes to practice in their ancient ways."

"And your ancestors never used weapons?"

"We were civilized."

Hak snorted at Kija's upright tone.

"That doesn't really explain why you need the bindings though."

Kija pulled up the rest of his one sleeve and Hak noticed for the first time that the metal bindings, went a lot further than just Kija's wrists. They seemed to carry on until just before the beginnings of his shoulder.

"The bindings are used as armor." Kija said, shifting his eyes to stare at Hak. "As you said, physical strength alone can only get you so far."

Realization flashed in Hak's eyes. "So..in a way, your arms are your swords?"

Kija gave a thoughtful expression, looking at his arm again. "In a way I suppose, but I only use the bindings to block." Lifting his bare hands, Kija said, "As you can see, I have no bindings on my hands. They are my true weapons."

Hak allowed his lips to form a smirk. "How original."

Kija took on a proud appearance. "Yes and as you can now see, I can use this strength to defeat anyone who stands as a threat to the princess."

"Eh?"

Kija lowered his eyes in a suspicious manner. "Just know that I will personally deal with you if any harm should come to the princess!"

' _This guy sure has some intense mood swings.'_

" _.._ Okay? _"_

Smiling in victory, Kija went back to happily eating his apple.

Hak stared at him weirdly for a moment, before turning back to the view, his apple, already finished. He wondered if all of Kyouka's people were this strange or if it was just those in the capital?

"You know? Just yesterday, I was considering offering you money to leave the palace." Kija admitted casually.

Hak turned to face him with a confused expression. "Excuse me?"

"I didn't want such a common beast to be around the princess...you understand, don't you?" Kija said, not bothering to look back at him.

Hak narrowed his eyes in annoyance at the man sitting beside him.

"Just how far are you willing to go to get rid of me?"

"Just know that the offer still stands. You can accept it whenever you're ready," Kija shrugged and took another bite of his apple, unfazed by Hak's irritated gaze.

"Ah! I finally found you!"

Hak and Kija turned to see a young man with chestnut brown hair, that was tied up in a low pony tail, running towards them.

Judging by his lower rank clothes, Hak concluded that he must be one of the royal's servants. Even so, his clothes were much nicer than the rags his clan was forced to wear.

"Is something wrong Min-soo?" Kija asked, already moving to stand.

"Forgive me, but general Joo-Doh wishes to see Hak in the weapons room." Min-soo said, smiling at Hak and making a small bow.

"What? Now? I'm starting to think that guy has a thing for me." Hak grumbled as he got up and stretched.

Min-soo only smiled at Hak's depressive antics, while Kija shook his head disapprovingly.

"He said it was important," came Min-soo's gentle voice.

Rubbing the back of his head, Hak asked, in a bored tone, "Alright, so where is the weapons room?"

"I'll walk you there," Kija said after thanking Min-soo and walking ahead.

"Great," Hak said sarcastically.

* * *

When the two men made it to the weapons room, they found Joo-Doh waiting for them.

"Took you long enough!"

Hak ignored the general, choosing to instead, look at all the weapons in the large room. Swords, crossbows, arrows, knives, slingshots and many other weapons he never saw before were presented before him. An uneasy feeling creeping up inside him.

Hak shook his head, reminding himself that it was only the Fire Clan that owned the silver weapons.

"What did you want to talk about Joo-Doh?" Hak asked looking back at the general.

"I've talked with the emperor and he seems to be very pleased. You seem like you know your way around a battle."

Hak avoided his questioning gaze. "I haven't had any training with weapons. I guess I follow my instincts."

Joo-Doh nodded, moving passed Hak, further into the room.

"Yes, I figured."

Hak glared at the amused smile Kija gave off at the comment.

"The king is to attend a financial meeting with the water Clan, however, it will take a few days to get there."

"And?" Hak asked, wondering where he was going with this.

Joo-Doh turned around to face him, his face serious.

"I want you to accompany me on escorting his majesty there safely."

Hak wasn't sure if the man was being serious or not, but if he figured out one thing about the Capital's general, it was that he had _no_ sense of humor.

"G-General Joo-Doh! Are you sure that we can trust the safety of his majesty in the hands of a newcomer? Especially one who can't even hold a sword properly?"

Hak's eyebrow twitched at the insult in Kija's words. He still wasn't sure how he felt about this guy.

"Relax Kija, it won't only be the two of us protecting the emperor. You will also be joining us."

Kija looked between nervous and flattered at the same time.

"You really believe that I am ready for such a mission?"

Joo-Doh nodded at him. "Yes. Besides the escort should go without any trouble. Of cause we will be taking the road near the forest, but the werewolves have never stepped over those borders before...well besides that one night." He said looking at Hak.

Hak clicked his tongue. "If it's so safe then why bother with three knights?"

Joo-Doh stared at Hak, like he had insulted him. "Because, this is the emperor we are going to be escorting. True, I'm more worried about a bunch of bandits hitting us than any werewolf, but I refuse to take any chances when it comes to the royal family."

Turning away from the two younger men, Joo-Doh gestured towards the displayed weapons.

"Now, back to they reason why I called you here. You need to choose weapon."

Hak stared at Joo-Doh with a confused expression.

"I thought that was the sword you gave me?"

"That was only for practice. Each knight has a choice of which weapon they wish to handle. Most take the usual knight sword." He pointed at the custom knight swords. "Others, however, tend to take on more original weapons made from their homelands."

Hak mentally pictured Kija's bindings.

"Since you came here with no weapon at all, you may choose one here."

Hak took a look around the room. Since he didn't have that much experience with many weapons before, he should take something relatively easy to handle.

He walked over to the half-handed weapons section. They didn't look too bad, kinda wussy, but probably easy to use. The section mainly consisted of swords: Gross Messer, Big Falchion, Estoc, Bastard Sword.

Hak couldn't help but picture Katsu being perfect for that last one. Its name fit the big guy so well. Hak chuckled to himself at the thought. Was it natural to hate somebody so quickly?

Shrugging his thoughts away, Hak moved over to the one-handed weapons, namely swords. The Light Sabre looked interesting, but Hak couldn't see himself using it. Next to it stood the trademark Knights Sword. It was the obvious choice, but Hak didn't want to use something so heavily associated with the capital.

Not bothering to look at the rest of the one-handed swords, Hak moved to the next section, which was made up of axes.

Kija visually tensed, seeing where he was headed. "I-uh, don't think that an axe would suite you."

Hak almost considered picking one, just to get on the silver-haired man's nerves, but decided against it.

The one-handed mace collection, didn't interest him. To be honest, it looked too flashy. He felt the same way towards the spears.

Maybe he should take a bow and arrow? His clan used to be famous for it and still used them in the forest today. That and a few daggers were the only few weapons they had with them and they rarely used them.

A yawn could be heard from Joo-Doh. Hak turned to glare at him.

"Sometime this century if you don't mind Hak?"

Rolling his eyes at the general, Hak walked over to the next section, when something caught his eye.

Coming to a stop in front of the polearm section, Hak kept his gaze on one particular weapon.

"What's this one called?"

Walking over to him, Joo-Doh looked at weapon in question. "You mean the glaive? It's not really a famous weapon around here. Too heavy to carry around all the time."

Picking it up, Hak noted that it was indeed heavy and was even taller then him. Stepping back, Hak tried a few swings. It was strong and felt like it could slice through the air.

"HEY! Don't do that in here!" Joo-Doh hissed.

Smirking, Hak held down the glaive and looked at Joo-Doh. "I'll take it."

Raising an eyebrow, Joo-Doh decided that he shouldn't be too surprised. This man didn't seem to follow the crowd.

"Are you sure?"

Hak nodded, no doubt in his mind.

Sighing, Joo-Doh walked over to another section and picked up a dagger and than walked back to Hak, placing it in his free hand.

"Take this too then. I'd feel better if you had a backup weapon for close combat."

Hak stared at the dagger, it looked expensive. Deciding not to argue, Hak nodded his thanks, before following Joo-Doh and Kija out of the room.

"Now that that's settled, you two should get some rest. We leave tomorrow morning at sunrise.

Hak looked deflated. Looks like his days of sleeping in were over.

"Meet me at the gates tomorrow, try not to be late," he said, specifically looking at Hak.

"Yes, sir," Kija answered for both of them, while Hak was still bidding his farewells to his lazy mornings in his head.

With that, Joo-Doh left them, departing back to his post.

For a minute, the two men stood, watching the departing general, before Kija spoke up.

"We should do as he said and get some rest."

For once, Hak actually agreed with him. Scary.

Without a word of goodbye, Hak turned to walk to his own room.

"Hak."

Looking over his should at the knight, Hak gave a questioning look.

"I take the business of protecting the royals very seriously, though, like you, I wasn't born here." His gaze becoming deadly serious.

Hak recognized that look from when Kija stepped in to stop Katsu on the training grounds.

"I hope that you will do the same on this escort."

Hak stayed silent for a moment, looking at the now intense, shorter male. He seemed to be passionate about this subject.

"Don't worry, I don't plan on letting anything happen to the emperor on this escort."

This seemed to relax him, as Kija's eyes retreated back to their normal soft look.

"Good then, I can trust you," he said and waved a 'goodnight' and proceeded to walk away.

Hak sighed and started walking again, giving a few swings with his glaive every once in a while.

* * *

 

 

**Sorry if the characters are a little OC. I'm trying not to do that, but it's one of my biggest problems. If you have any advice or criticism, please don't hesitate to tell me.**

**Also, I hope the sword fight wasn't too boring or far-fetched. I think that was the hardest part to write.**

 

**Disclaimer: I don't own Akatsuki no Yona or any of its characters.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 

Hak let out a loud yawn as he scratched the back of his head, effectively messing up his thick black hair. He was tired. It was early in the morning, most of the country was still sleeping. How Hak envied them.

It was the day of departure for the emperor and his chosen knights, namely; Joo-doh, Hak and Kija. A few days ago, Joo-doh had informed Hak and Kija that they would be accompanying him in escorting the emperor to the Water Tribe, with whom he was to discuss some financial issues.

During those few days in-between, Hak had been treated to some intense training. He still prefered his normal fighting style, but he had to make due what he could. The training had been intense, but Joo-Doh wanted to make sure that he was ready for the mission, even if he was only tagging along for experience and maybe some extra help.

On the day of departure, Hak had followed orders and met up with Kija at the castle's gates at sunrise, but ironically, Joo-doh wasn't there. This _happy_ turn of events lead to Hak and Kija waiting for 2 hours, until the emperor's servants arrived to load the carriage his majesty would be riding in.

How it happened, Hak wasn't sure, but one minute he was doing a good job of ignoring Kija's attempts of making conversation and the next, he was helping load the carriage.

"We better be getting paid extra for this," Hak grumbled as one of the servants handed him yet another bag of belongings and grunted at it's weight. Were they purposefully giving him all the heavy ones?

Kija looked back at Hak, while walking towards the carriage, carrying five suitcases, using only one hand. "Did you say something Hak?"

Hak merely stared dumbly at the load the silver-haired man seemed to be carrying with ease. Shaking his head, he decided to let it go. He was in no position to find something super-humanly strange, for obvious reasons.

"Never mind, if anything you'll probably just give me some boring lecture." Hak said and went to put the heavy luggage into the carriage, passing Kija who eyed him confusingly.

"Man, how much stuff does this guy need? With all his money, he could just buy whatever he wants over there."

Kija stood beside him and packed in what he had been carrying, before giving him a stern look. "Do I have to remind you to show the royal family some respect!?"

Hak rolled his eyes. "Right I forgot, you have some sort of obsession with them," he mumbled as he walked away to get another bag, however Kija still heard it.

"I thought you said you were going to take this job seriously!"

"And I am," he said in a strained voice as he lifted a particularly large bag. His strength was getting better with each day that passed and he guessed that he was still physically stronger than most humans...minus Kija. Even so, he still preferred his wolf strength. "But that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it."

Walking back to the carriage and the fuming silver-haired knight, Hak placed the bag into the carriage as well, before giving an arrogant smirk.

"So don't expect my charming attitude to magically disappear just yet."

Kija stared with narrowed eyes at the taller man, his arms crossed. "It's not exactly what I would call 'charming'."

"It's an acquired taste. Only very few people are able to see it's brilliance." Hak casually stated, looking over at the other servants handling all the preparations.

"I believe you mean, 'only very few people can _tolerate_ it'," Kija corrected and handed Hak a few smaller boxes to pack in, before walking away to retrieve the others.

Choosing to ignore that comment, Hak began attempting to pack in the small boxes into the carriage, some of which, unfortunately slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor.

"Be careful with those! They are one of a kind!" came the girly yet demanding tone off the Kyouka kingdom's one and only princess.

Recognizing the voice, Hak was about to tell her that she could just carry them herself, when he noticed the emperor coming out of the castle.

Hak grimaced as he bent to pick up the fallen boxes and then stood, turning to the face the princess, a fake smile on his face.

"Good morning, princess. What a lovely surprise to see you here so early in the morning." Hak forced a polite tone. ' _That's it, my dignity's gone._ '

The princess stood a few feet away, alongside her was her servant, Min-soo, who smiled at Hak in greeting, before leaving to help the other servants.

Yona wore an expensive looking, red, kimono with golden patterns decorating the kimono's obi and borderlines. Over it, she wore an open, matching red haori* with similar golden flower patterns and dark blue borderlines.

Hak couldn't help but eye the wild, long red hair that fell loosely down her shoulders. He wasn't blind. He wouldn't deny that the princess was beautiful, but looks only got you so far in life and unfortunately, all humans were ugly on the inside.

Yona raised a perfect brow, looking suspiciously at the new knight-in-training. "What are you up to? You're never this polite..."

Hak's eyebrow twitched at her remark, but held down the snarky comment, threatening to come out. "I have no idea what you're talking about princess," he laughed falsely. 'Please, s _omebody kill me now.'_ "So anyway, I take it you're here to see his majesty off?" He continued, turning to place the boxes into the carriage.

"No, I am also going to the Water Tribe," she said, moving forward to inspect her hopefully undamaged luggage.

"E-excuse me?" Hak stuttered. Oh Please let him have misheard her.

Setting the box down again, Yona turned to the now pale knight. "I am going to the Water tribe with my father," she repeated. "Is there a problem?"

Shaking his head, Hak tried to accept the fact that the crazy princess would be coming along with them every _single_ step of the way _._

He eventually noticed that she was still waiting for an answer and he sighed, before ruffing up his hair again. "No, I guess not."

Yona nodded, happy with his answer. "Good. Now, about the luggage I-."

"Well it's fine as long as you keep your perviness to yourself." Hak interrupted, looking in a different direction, with a bored expression. He might as well drop the polite act. There was no way he would be able to keep it up during the whole trip. Besides, for some reason, it was fun to see that annoyed look on her face.

"What?" Yona blinked, not quite finished processing his words.

Hak tilted his head down in her direction and gave a smirk. "If you promise to behave yourself, I promise not to tell your father about that little stunt you pulled in my room a few days ago."

A moment passed before Yona's face flushed with anger and she gripped the sides of her haori, glaring up at Hak.

"Why y-you idiot! I would never do such a thing!" she shouted, earning the attention of some of the other servants.

Hak's sweet dropped at the attention they attracted, while Yona blushed in embarrassment, after noticing the stares and looked down at her feet. Hak couldn't help but overhear the servants whisper some criticisms directed towards the princess and her unladylike behavior. By the way she gripped her clothes tighter, Hak could tell that she heard them too.

They both stood there awkwardly, looking away from each other as the whispers died down.

Clearing his throat, Hak looked back at the princess and for some bizarre reason, wanted to try and ease her nerves. He would later recall it as having pity for the sad, little human. _Ah_   _yes,_ he was too kind for his own good.

"Ahem, So, um...why are you heading to the Water Tribe?" He asked, slightly interested.

Yona peeked up at him from below her crimson fringe, seeming to hesitate, before answering. "I..I am going to visit the Water General's daughter, Lili. She and I are close friends."

Hak nodded in understanding, trying to figure out what else to say. Comforting was never his strong suit. Why was he even doing this anyway?

"Yeah, that figures, I should have known that you wouldn't be interested in the financial meeting."

This managed to spike some irritation in the previously embarrassed princess. Yona's head shot up, glaring at Hak. "And what is that supposed to mean?" She demanded, this time, however, slightly softer, but enough to relieve Hak that she was back to normal.

Wait...relieved?

Before Hak could dwell on the thought much longer, Kija appeared from behind him.

"Hak, I've got the last of the luggage, it seems that we will be leaving soon." Kija informed him, before noticing the princesses agitated presence. "Princess!? What are you doing here?" Kija exclaimed happily, his eyes brightening at the sight of her.

"Apparently, she is going to the Water tribe too," Hak answered for her, his voice sounding more depressed then he meant it to.

Giving Hak one last disapproving look, Yona turned to Kija with a smile. "Yes, I am going to visit lady Lili, while father has his meeting."

Kija's smile grew wider at the thought of traveling with the princess. "I'm honored to have the task of protecting both you and the emperor. Right Hak?"

"Greatest honor in the world," came the sarcastic reply of the raven-haired knight.

Kija paid no mind to the truth in Hak's words and remained smiling Happily at the princess. "Do you have everything you need, princess?"

Tapping her finger to her chin, the princess gave a thoughtful expression. "Yes, I think so. I had the servants pack my luggage in before fathers."

Hak slowly turned his head towards the princess with a strained smile on his face, but cold, unforgiving eyes.

"You mean, all these bags belong to you?" he asked menacingly slowly.

"Yes, although I had wanted to bring more, but father had told me to pack lightly," the princess huffed, not noticing his change in attitude.

' _Lightly?'_ Hak thought unbelievably. She probably had more clothes in that carriage then what his whole clan had.

"But I plan to buy new clothes from the Water Tribe. They had the most lovely kimonos the last time I was there." Yona said, enthusiastically.

Hak tuned Yona and Kija out as they continued to talk about Yona's next wardrobe. ' _When were they leaving?'_ He thought impatiently, looking around to try and catch a glimpse of the emperor.

"Well if it ain't pretty boy,"

' _No,'_ Hak's eyes widened at the familiar gruff voice.

' _Please don't let it be..'_

Hak turned around to see none other then Katsu, the arrogant psychopath who he had beaten a few days ago, during his training battle. The guy didn't seem to like losing, having tried to attack Hak from behind when it was over, in some sort of sick way to redeem his wounded pride. Admittedly, Hak would probably have gotten hurt if it wasn't for Kija jumping it to stop him at the last second.

Hak glared back at the tall, bearded man. "What are you doing here?" he asked in a monotone voice, trying to hide how much this guy irritated him.

"Katsu will be joining us on this escort," Joo-doh explained, walking up to the two men.

Hak's annoyed gaze turned to the Capital's general. "You have got to be kidding me."

Joo-doh gave off no emotion as he looked at Hak. "I'm not. Katsu _is_ one of my strongest men and like I explained yesterday, I do not take chances when it comes to the royals. The two of you will just have to get over your differences until after the mission."

"You didn't mention this a couple days ago," Hak accused.

Joo-doh looked away from Hak, searching the servants and making sure everything was ready. "I knew you'd be against it, so I decided to leave that part out." Turning his gaze back at Hak, Joo-doh's expression turned sharp. "But now that you _do_ know, I expect you two to focus purely on this escort and leave everything else forgotten! Understand?"

Hak felt a growl forming in his throat as he looked at the ugly, smug look on Katsu's face, but he fought it down and nodded stiffly to Joo-doh.

"Good, now princess Yona are you prepared to leave?" Joo-doh asked, directing his attention to the princess. Hak turned to see that both Kija and Yona had moved to stand beside him, probably when Katsu arrived.

The princess nodded affirmatively to the older general. "I am, but I think my father is still busy," she said, looking behind him at where her father stood chatting happily with a few of the servants.

By the way he was gesturing to the flowers, Hak realized that the emperor was discussing the castle's garden.

Joo-doh gave off a tired sigh and made his way to remind the emperor that time was of the essence. But before he did, he looked back at the generals and told them to get ready to depart.

When he left, Hak ignored the glare, Katsu was giving him and went to pick up his glaive, strapping it in place on his back, before following Kija to the front of the carriage along with Katsu and the princess. There he saw Min-soo strapping two horses to the carriage.

Min-soo, noticing their presence, smiled at them, before turning to Kija. "Sir Kija, general Joo-doh said that you and I will be sitting on the front of the carriage. He also said that you will be driving it. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to help."

Hak snorted at the thought of Kija handling the carriage. "Since when can you steer a carriage? No offense, but you just don't seem like the type."

Kija gave him an annoyed look, before nodding kindly at Min-soo. "Alright Min-soo. Thank you,"he said before sitting himself down onto the wooden seat of the carriage.

Min-soo then turned to Hak and Katsu. "I have prepared your horses as well," he said gesturing to two large, strongly built stallions, not far from the carriage.

Hak's heart stopped at Min-soo's words. Little known fact about werewolves, other animals tended to avoid them, since obviously they were predators and had to eat meat. Unlike humans, however, werewolves hunted like any other wolf and sometimes ate the animals raw. It didn't help that animals could sense a werewolf.

"I'll be um...riding a horse?"

"Would you prefer walking," Kija asked from where he was sitting.

"Is that offer on the table?"

His question was followed by an awkward silence, before Katsu burst out with laughter, his snorts and grunts shaking his body, earning a glare from Hak. "Looks like pretty boy's scared of a horse," Katsu spurted between chuckles.

Yona stepped towards Hak and looked up at him with a confused expression. "Is that really true, Hak?"

Hak looked down at her and rubbed his neck in annoyance. "No, I've just never ridden on one before." Although true, Hak wasn't actually scared of the idea of riding the horse, but more of the reaction the horse would give off if he came near it. There was a chance that the necklace would fool the horse too, but DNA was still DNA, right? He couldn't be sure, but he definitely didn't want to have his cover blown by some animal.

"Neither have I," came the soft reply of the princess, giving him a small smile.

Hak realized that she was trying to make him feel better, like what he had tried to do before for her. It was strange and unnecessary, but Hak felt still his heart flutter at the smile she gave him.

What was wrong with him today? She's just some spoiled, human princess!

Turning his head away from the princess he tried to clear his head, before giving a snort. "I kinda figured. With how clumsy you are, I don't blame you for not endangering the poor animal."

Yona's smile quickly vanished and in it's place formed an angry frown. "Excuse me!?"

Hak looked back at her and smirked. "You'd probably fall off every few seconds or kill it with your weight."

Standing up straighter, the princess turned abruptly away from him and opened the carriage door. "You're such a jerk, Hak!" she angrily huffed, before stepping inside the carriage, slamming the door behind her.

Hak's smirk slowly faded. He felt bad, but it was better for him not to make any real friends around here. That could serve as a complication in the long run.

Turning back forward, Hak noticed Kija's angry glare. Though Katsu looked like he was trying not to laugh.

"What?" Hak asked, looking at the three men.

Katsu started to smirk. "Well looks like I won't have teh worry after'll. Seems teh me like ya ain't gonna be stay'en around for much longer with that attitude." He let out another laugh, before grabbing the ropes of one of the horses and started walking away.

Hak didn't reply, worried he might start a fight. What irritated him the most was that idiot was right, but he seriously didn't need to start caring for these people. Now if only the guilt would just go away.

Kija sighed and calmed himself down. Seems like this guy would never learn his manners when it came to the royal family. "Hak, you should try and sort out your horse."

"Would you like some help with your horse?" Min-soo asked hesitantly, looking at Hak, but had a polite smile.

Hak considered for a moment, before deciding against it. "No, that's okay. I can handle it myself."

"It's not as easy as you think," Kija warned.

"Then why don't we swap?" Hak asked, looking at Kija.

"Have you ever handled a carriage before?"

"..Fine," Hak grunted in defeat,

"Well, while your getting settled, I'm going to fetch my own luggage." With that, Kija got off the carriage and made his way back to where he had left his bags.

Hak nodded to him, while Min-soo went back to grooming the horses strapped to the carriage.

Hak took a deep breath and then walked slowly over to the horse who was busy drinking some water.

Just as Hak was about to touch it, the horse noticed him and make a loud defensive sound, standing on it's back legs and kicking his front legs in the air.

The sound alerted the other servants and they stared in its direction for a moment before going back to their jobs, while Hak tried calm the large animal down. Eventually, after grabbing it's ropes, Hak managed to pull it down and it grew quiet, but it's breathing was still heavy.

"Easy, easy," Hak pleaded silently to the horse who still resisted to stay still. When the horse finally stood still, Hak took it as his chance to get on it's back.

Hak managed to get onto the horse easy enough, but just as he got comfortable, the horse gave off a squealing noise and jumped, effectively pushing Hak off and onto the ground.

Hak groaned in pain and glared at the horse...who looked to be pleased with himself.

Then Hak suddenly heard giggles coming from above him and he looked up to find the princess leaning out the carriage's window, trying to muffle her giggles with her hand.

She wasn't doing a very good job.

Hak narrowed his eyes at the giggling princess above him, before standing up again.

"Something funny, princess?" he asked annoyed while brushing himself off.

The princess opened her eyes and smiled teasingly at him. "Look's like I'm not the only one around here who would fall off a horse, right Hak?" She said, giving out a few more giggles.

Hak wanted to be angry with her, but was more angry with himself and his heart for fluttering again at that smile of hers. He didn't understand what was going on, but decided to shrug it off.

"Like you could do any better?" Hak challenged.

Leaning on one of her hands, the princess looked at the horse with a faraway expression. "I probably would fall off wouldn't I?"

Hak looked surprised for a moment, expecting a different response. He just couldn't figure this girl out.

Yona looked back at him and smoothed her clothes, noticing his stare. "Well anyway, at least horses don't hate _me_ ," she said, before closing the curtain again.

' _There it is,'_ Hak rolled his eyes and returned his attention back to the horse and gripped the ropes again, bringing the unwilling horse closer to him.

"Look," Hak whispered to the horse. "If you cooperate, I promise to make sure no one from my clan ever eats another horse again." He knew that talking to a horse was stupid, but he was desperate and his dignity had already been destroyed earlier, so what else did he have to lose?

"That's a strange way of getting your horse to trust you," came the kind and happy-go-lucky voice of the emperor.

Hak immediately stepped back from the horse and gave a quick bow to the emperor. "Your majesty," He greeted, slightly embarrassed for being caught talking to a horse.

Emperor Il, nodded back and looked at the horse. "I see you're having some trouble? Strange, she doesn't usually act up," he said, causing Hak to stiffen.

"I've never ridden one before, I apologize."

To Hak's confusion, the emperor gave a small laugh, but he could tell it wasn't in a teasing manner. "All you need to do is let her know that you mean her no harm," he said, patting the horse's nose, to which she gave no reluctance to.

"Now you try."

Hak hesitated before reaching up to touch the horse, who started resisting right away. Hak stopped midway and scratched his head. "Maybe I should just walk?"

The emperor shook his head and smiled. "Try one more time, this time try moving slower and make eye contact, let her know that you are not an enemy."

Deciding that it was not the best idea to go against the emperor's orders-though he didn't think this guy had it in him to punish him if he did-Hak nodded. Looking back at the horse, Hak took a deep breath and slowly reached up again, this time making eye contact. The horse still resisted slightly and backed away, but Hak kept going, never increasing his speed.

After a while, the horse seemed to relax and although she didn't move forward, she didn't move away either as Hak's hand came closer.

Hak's hand gently made contact with it's nose and slowly rubbed, to which the horse breathed out, in what Hak guessed to be relief.

He knew it wasn't much of an accomplishment, but Hak found himself smiling in triumph and lifted his other hand to touch the horse too. This time there was no resistance.

"Well done," the emperor congratulated him.

Hak looked back at the emperor. "Thank you, your majesty," he said, feeling strange for thanking the enemy.

"No thanks necessary," he reassured, moving to the carriage doors. "Just know that I am counting on you to protect my daughter. I should be the one thanking you for accepting my offer."

Hak paused, before nodding and the emperor smiled at him, than entered the carriage.

A strange feeling of guilt welled up inside Hak and he pushed it down. He didn't owe these people anything. They were the enemy, he reminded himself. Still though, he couldn't help but be confused by the emperor's kind behavior. He didn't seem to be all that evil...or was it just because he believed Hak was a human like him?

"That was quite the show there," Joo-doh said, walking up to Hak. "I still don't like how you act so casual with the emperor, but you seemed to behave yourself there."

Hak ignored the general, choosing to instead go back to petting the horse.

Realizing that Hak was not going to reply, Joo-doh swallowed back his anger at being ignored, a vein threatening to snap in his forehead. He walked over to his own horse and climbed on top.

"We're leaving. You and Katsu petrol either side of the carriage, I'll lead the way. Try not to loose control of the horse." With that said, Joo-doh pulled the ropes of the horse sideways, directing it to move forward.

Looking back at the carriage, Hak noticed Kija and Min-soo sitting back down on the their seats, Kija grabbing hold of the ropes, before looking back at Hak.

"Will you be alright, Hak?" Kija asked looking at his horse.

Hak waved him off. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll catch up."

Nodding, Kija whipped the ropes slightly and the horses started to walk in Joo-doh's direction.

Taking a deep breath, Hak glanced back at his own horse who seemed to be relaxed. Taking it as a good sign, Hak moved to his back and this time, slowly climbed on top.

Once seated, Hak stayed still to see the horses reaction. It seemed to be taking it better this time. He took a hold of the ropes and only hoped the horse wouldn't charge ahead. Surprising, once he nudged the horses sides, there way he saw others do, she started to walk at a slow, calm pace, to Hak's relief.

Maybe she was giving him some sympathy? It was stupid, but Hak now felt the need to apologize for ever bringing up the topic of eating horse meat.

Heading towards the carriage, Hak's horse was nudged harshly by Katsu's own horse, the moron laughing mockingly as he went to take his place on one side of the, now moving carriage.

Hak glared at his back, while pulling the ropes to steady his horse, who gave an annoyed neighing sound. He whipped the ropes and quickly reached the carriage, moving to the opposite side from Katsu.

It wasn't fair that Hak had to play the nice guy, while Katsu went at him every few minutes. Luckily, Hak was a patient man. He could wait for his chance to get back at him. He would be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to it.

Directing the horse to slow down again, Hak looked forward as the huge gates that separated the humans and the werewolves swung open.

And Hak felt it strange to be heading towards the out lands and coming from the human's territory. It felt messed up.

* * *

Hours passed as the group walked on the path that acted at the borderline between the forest and the kingdom's capital. It was nearly sunset and by this point the princess was bored out of her mind.

Yona sat next to her father on the cushioned seats of the carriage, leaning her crossed arms on the window, as she stared outside. It was very rare when ever she got to leave the castle walls and this would be the first time that she ever left the capital's protective gates.

Of cause, when she requested to tag along, her father had been against the idea, too afraid of something bad happening. Luckily, her father eventually gave in. He was never one to refuse his daughter and was put more at ease, when her uncle, of all people, assured him that she would be heavily protected with the knights and that besides the incident with Hak, the werewolves never crossed the borderlines.

Speaking of Hak, Yona let her eyes fall to the man riding alongside her side of the carriage. Originally, she had been on the other side, but asked her father to change seats with her, stating that she didn't like the view on that side, to which he happily allowed.

Her reasoning, although false, wasn't completely wrong. She really hadn't enjoyed the view, but she wasn't referring to the scenery.

Katsu was stationed on that side of the carriage and every now and then, he would send a flirty look towards the princess, making her want to gag. Honestly he was worse then the Fire Tribes general's son, Tae-Jun, who had requested her hand in marriage, before she was engaged to her darling Soo-won.

Shuddering at the thought, Yona went back to looking at Hak. He could really be a jerk sometimes and could be _really_ annoying too, but Yona still felt something mysterious about him, like when he first showed up at the castle.

She watched him looking around, observing the area for any kind of threat, before looking down at his horse and slowly stroked it's neck.

For the first time, Yona saw Hak give a real smile and she couldn't help but think it suited him. At least way more than that smirk or frown he usually wore.

Not realizing that she had been openly staring at him for over a few minutes, Yona came back to her senses when she realized that Hak was looking her way too.

Flushing in embarrassment for being caught, Yona let out an embarrassing, "EEP!" and quickly closed the curtains again, putting a hand to her increasing heartbeat. ' _How long had he'd been staring?_ _How long had she been staring!?_ _So embarrassing!'_ Yona screeched in her head, covering her eyes.

"Is everything alright Yona?" asked emperor Il, looking worriedly at his daughter.

Removing her hands from her face, Yona tried to straighten herself up. "Y-yes, father! I'm okay….I just saw something unsettling."

Her father looked at her for a moment longer. "Are you sure? Should I inform the general?"

Waving her hands frantically in front of her, Yona shook her head. "No! No, it's nothing to worry about, just some gross bugs, that's all!" Yona lied.

Relaxing again, the emperor nodded in understanding before going back to reading his book that he had brought along.

Sighing softly in relief, Yona fell against the seat, trying to get comfortable. She shouldn't worry about Hak of all people, even if it was embarrassing. She didn't care what he was thinking, she was the princess after all. That's right! She was the princess and therefore should not waste her time on filthy, arrogant jerks like Hak.

….It was pretty embarrassing though.

Yona groaned, thinking that he would probably tease her about it later. The jerk.

Closing her eyes, Yona tried to relax, deciding to try and get some rest. She needed to sleep.

Just as she was about to fall into pure slumber, the carriage's wheel's rolled over a slightly large rock, causing it to bump up and disturb Yona, making her squeak in surprise.

"Ugh, Father how long before we reach the Water Tribe? This trip is taking forever!" the now grumpy princess whined.

"It will still be a while. I'm afraid, you will just have to grin and bear it," her father apologized.

Pouting, Yona tried to get comfy again to get some sleep.

Letting out a small yawn, Yona's thoughts drifted to her happy place; Soo-won. She really missed him, but he was so out of reach lately, that Yona thought it would be a good idea to give him some space, but she couldn't help but wish she was back home with him.

Love really was a powerful thing.

* * *

**This chapter wasn't meant to end here, but I decided to split it in half so that it wouldn't be too long.**

 

**Thank you to whoever is reading this! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, if not, please tell me why, so I can try and do better in future chapters.**

 

***Haori: a traditional Japanese coat-like/jacket-like clothing worn over a kimono, that remains open.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mission has officially started, not everyone is pleasant and Hak gets some unexpected visitors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 is out and number 6 is in the making!  
> Hope this chapter is as good as the previous one or possibly better ^^
> 
> I have this feeling that this story is going to be a long one-unless I start making the chapters twice as long...
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the chapter!  
> Please let me know what you think!

The light was fading slowly as the sun started to set. The land was quiet, the only noise coming from the sound of the horse's slow steps and the heavy movements of the carriage as its wheels rolled over the gravel road.

They had been traveling non-stop for the entire day and not one problem had occurred.

Hak stared blankly in front of him as his horse kept walking in a straight direction alongside the carriage. He was bored, that much was for sure. Normally he wouldn't mind the silence, since the only people to talk to were technically his enemies, but right now….it was really starting to drive him crazy.

Shifting his position on his horse, Hak tried to get more comfortable. His horse made an annoyed sound at the motion. He guessed it was because she was tired too and he had to be heavy.

Sighing, Hak looked to the carriage beside him. No doubt the emperor and his daughter were already sleeping. What else could they do? Unfortunately he wasn't able to look inside, since the princess had closed the curtains a few hours ago and never opened them since then.

It probably had something to do with the fact that Hak had caught her staring at him earlier. She seemed like the type to get embarrassed easily. He wasn't complaining about her absence though.

Looking back ahead, Hak noticed Joo-doh slowing down to a stop. He and the others did the same.

"I think we should make camp for the night," Joo-doh announced, looking around him. "We'll be vulnerable if we keep traveling at night, not to mention..." he directed his gaze to the starting of the forest over the kingdom's border. "The night is the werewolves' territory."

Hak scoffed at 't these people think anybody else besides the werewolves were a threat? What about robbers? Murderers? Or even bandits? Although now that he thought about it, not many humans would dare to roam around this part of the land, since it was so close to the forest. Actually, those few that did would probably be idiots with a death wish.

Hak's faced deadpanned as he processed that last thought. If that was really the case, didn't that qualify  _him_  as an idiot?

' _Idiot.'_

His right eye twitched every few seconds as he came across the new discovery about himself. He was an idiot in these people's eyes…

"Are you sure that not carrying on is such a good idea, general Joo-doh?" Kija asked from the front of the now motionless carriage. "I don't feel right about allowing the emperor and princess to be in this part of the kingdom any longer than they have to be."

Swinging himself off his horse, the scarred general started walking towards the carriage, the reins of his horse held tightly in one hand as he lead it to follow him.

"Neither do I, but we need to be at our full strength if any werewolf were to attack, instead of being half asleep."

"I understand sir, but surely we can handle a few more hours?" Kija pleaded.

Stopping a few feet in front of the carriage, Joo-doh looked over at the other horses that had been walking slower and slower a while ago. "The horses are tired and so are the rest of you. We'd be walking targets if we continued like this."

"Then I suggest a snack break!" Kija suggested. "We eat, stock up on some energy and then, carry on with our journey! Right Hak?" He asked, shaking the werewolf out of his depressing thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Do you agree on taking a small break, rather than retiring for the whole night in a  _dangerous_ area?" Kija repeated patiently.

"Trust me Kija, I don't think it would be a good idea to carry on like this, even you were struggling to keep your eyes open while maintaining the carriage." Joo-doh reasoned.

Blushing in embarrassment, Kija lowered his head in shame. "You noticed?"

"Yes, which adds to my point of resting for the ni-"

"For-forgive me sir! As a trained knight, I should have been able to suppress such weaknesses. I knew that I was not ready to take on this mission, but I will try harder." Kija apologized, appalled at his own behavior. "I  _will_  do whatever it takes to protect the princess!"

" _And_  the emperor," Hak included with a smirk.

"Mind your own business Hak! That goes without saying!" Kija defended himself, embarrassed further by his mistake.

"Sure it does."

Joo-doh sighed as the two went into their own little 'conversation' and glanced at the back of the carriage which was strapped and packed with heavy luggage. Frowning at the load, Joo-doh couldn't help but feel slightly irritated at the two royals sitting inside the carriage. He had specifically warned them not to bring too many items along as it would slow down the journey and tire the horses. But he should have known better, the emperor would never deny his daughter anything, even if it did make things a little more difficult for everyone else.

Shaking his head, the capital's general returned his attention to the two bickering knights in front of him.

"If you two are finished, I would like to start setting up camp," he interrupted them with a controlled expression.

"B-but sir!"

"I have made my orders," Joo-doh said tiredly. "We will be resting for the night."

"Sounds good teh me!" Katsu exclaimed, capturing everyone's attention as he passed the carriage and then also got off his horse.

Hak swore he saw Katsu's horse breathe a sigh of relief at the loss of weight.

Kija stood up from his seat on the carriage, effectively disturbing and waking Min-soo, who had fallen asleep a few hours back, using Kija's shoulder as his pillow.

The young servant boy almost fell off the carriage, before steadying himself with wide, tired eyes.

Hak kind of felt sorry for him. He knew all too well about how it felt to be sleep-deprived. The boy must have been really tired if he hadn't been woken up by their earlier argument. Strange that he was so tired though, it wasn't like he had been handling the carriage' horses.

Then again, Min-soo was the princess's private servant…enough said.

"How can you give in to the idea so easily!? Don't you understand the risks we could be taking?" Kija questioned Katsu who had started to stretch.

"Would ya relax? Ain't no over-seized pooch gonna step one foot near the royals whilst the great knight, Katsu is guarding 'em," he insisted proudly, rolling back his shoulder blades.

Hak snickered at the words 'great' and 'Katsu' being used in the same sentence. This caused Katsu to stop mid-stretch to slowly turn and glare in Hak's direction, while Joo-doh and Kija also turned their heads towards the sound.

"Something funny, pretty boy?"

"Nothing more than usual, oh 'great, knight Katsu,'" Hak said meeting his glare with a smug smile.

Tightening his hands into fists, Katsu stood in a threatening stance. "Ya wanting teh start a fight, smart guy!?"

Hak blinked at the challenge. It seemed that it was really easy to tick this guy off. Too bad he couldn't take him up on that offer. "I think we both know how that one ends, don't we?" Hak waved him off.

Katsu clenched his teeth at the insult, but Joo-doh's free hand gripped his shoulder, stopping him from further actions.

"I thought I told you two to put your differences aside for this mission!" He reminded them, his disapproving glare shifting from Katsu to Hak, neither of them listening to him.

"Ya really think ya  _all that_  just course ya got lucky that one time?" Katsu continued, but made no move to attack, very aware of his commander's hand on his shoulder. "Well…why don't ya prove teh me just how tough ya really are?"

Hak's eyes narrowed, but gave no response to the large man a few feet away from him. He wouldn't fight right now; he had to put at least some effort into this job.

"Really? Don't you think we have more important things to discuss right now?" Kija answered for him.

Breaking eye contact with Katsu to look at the silver-haired knight, Hak figured that he should go along with Kija's suggestion before things got ugly.

"Yeah, you're right," Hak agreed reluctantly and started getting off his horse.

A taunting laugh sounded from Katsu as Hak's feet touched the ground and Hak tried to reduce the urge to turn around and hit the guy. ' _Happy place Hak, find your happy place.'_

It didn't help that his 'happy place' mainly consisted of him shoving Katsu's ugly face further and further into the dirt.

Keeping his back facing Katsu, Hak took a hold of the horse's reins to keep her from wandering off and started to unstrap his small bag that was tied to the her side. This attempt of ignoring Katsu, however didn't go by very well with the taller man.

"That's it? What? Ya suddenly lost ya nerve pretty boy?"

Hak's grip on his horse's reins tightened.

"Katsu-"

"Shut it Kija! This ain't none of ya business!" Katsu warned. "Why is this guy even here in the first place? He ain't one of us and I ain't gonna give him any special treatment just course he was specially picked by his majes-"

"Enough, Katsu! Not another word, unless you want me as your next opponent!" Joo-doh ordered, now getting pissed off at the stupid argument. "Starting an argument is one thing, but a knight NEVER disrespects his emperor!"

Suddenly the carriage's door opened and the emperor stuck his head out with a tired yet worried expression on his face.

"What's going on out here? Why has the carriage stopped moving?" the half-awake ruler of Kyouka asked while trying to get his eyes to focus.

Hak looked over his shoulder towards the emperor. He had been right, they must have been sleeping.

The emperor started rubbing his eyes, before taking a look around at the scene before him: Everyone seemed to be tense. General Joo-doh gripping Katsu's shoulder, while said man gave off an intimidating stance. He could see the top of Kija's head from in front of the carriage and Hak seemed to be quite stiff.

"General Joo-doh...is something wrong?" the now more awake and concerned emperor asked.

Joo-doh blinked before releasing Katsu from his tight hold and then walked over to the emperor, giving a short bow.

"Of course not, your majesty. We were just about to set up camp, to rest for the night," Joo-doh said, lifting his head and then turned to nod at the other knights, signalling them to do just that.

Katsu gave one last snarling look at Hak before stomping his way to the back of the carriage to get some supplies, while Kija looked defeated and gloomily climbed down, before helping Min-soo off the carriage as well, who seemed to be spaced out with sleep.

Hak turned to look in front of him again and gave out a sigh, before lightly pulling the reins of his horse to guide her to a good sleeping area.

The emperor watched all the pouting faces go about their own jobs and then looked back at the general. "Are you sure everything is alright?"

"Nothing to worry about, emperor Il, I've got everything under control,"Joo-doh reassured.

Emperor Il's eyebrows furrowed for a moment as he studied his general's face, until eventually giving in and smiling. "If you say so, general Joo-doh. I know I can trust you."

Nodding the general looked around him at the scenery. He didn't like the idea of staying here longer, any more then Kija did, but he knew that if they were to encounter a werewolf at worst, then they would need all the strength and energy they could muster.

"Well, onto other matters, emperor Il. I am sure that you may be worried about any threats that could be among us at night, but rest assured. I, as the capital's general, will do whatever I can in my power to make sure that no harm will come to you or the…"

Having slowly turned back to the emperor, Joo-doh stopped mid-sentence to see that the carriage door was once again closed. While he had been inspecting the scenery, he hadn't noticed the emperor re-entering the carriage to return to his dreams.

Joo-doh's vein pulsed against his fore-head as he glared daggers at the closed door, hearing nothing but the emperor's blissful snoring.

Why, of all Kyouka Kingdom's generals, was he the one cursed to babysit the seemingly incompetent royal family?

Oh, he could hear general Geun-tae laughing at him right now.

* * *

Hak reached out and snapped off a branch from a nearby tree and added it to the increasing pile tucked under his other arm.

A few minutes ago, Joo-doh had walked up to him while he had been settling his horse down (in a rather bad mood he might add) and ordered him to fetch some fire wood. Unfortunately he had tried to get out of it, by saying, "why me?" and that lead to further infuriating the general who then replied, "Because YOU are the least experienced and we can afford to lose you!"

Hak cringed at the memory of the ticked-off general. He understood that this job could be stressful on the guy, but really, didn't anybody ever tell him that words could hurt?

Luckily, Hak found that he was able to get over it pretty quickly. It was a peaceful night in the forest, the sun had set quite a while ago and it was now dark. Breathing in the fresh, cold air, Hak realized that although he had only been gone a few days, he really missed the forest and even though he wasn't very deep in it or near his pack, he still felt at home.

"I can't believe general Joo-doh is actually making us camp out here!" Kija complained from behind Hak.

And just as soon as he felt it, that peaceful moment Hak had been feeling, quickly vanished. Halting in his steps, Hak turned to face the sulking form that was Kija, who had been following slowly behind him.

"Are you really still going on about that?" Hak asked in a bored tone.

Kija's eyes looked back at Hak and sighed. "How can I not be?" Kija said and turned his head to look around the forest. "Nobody seems to care of the danger we are putting the princess and the emperor through by staying here longer than we strictly have to _!_ "

"You do realize that we will be camping from behind the border of the forest and not actually  _in_  their territory, right?"

"That doesn't mean that the princess is at any lower risk of being harmed! What's to stop them from crossing the border!?"

Hak rolled his eyes at the smaller man, before turning again to carry on with his assigned job.

"Relax, would you? Nothings going to happen to the princess," he said, choosing to rather not bring up Kija's mistake at not including the emperor again. He was tired too after all.

Grabbing another stray branch that lay on the ground, Hak inspected it, before adding it his pile. "And anyway, if you're so worried about the princess, why aren't you back at the campsite guarding her?"

As if Hak had flipped a switch, Kija forged back into his sulking state. "Because, general Joo-doh ordered me to accompany you in case you ran into some trouble," Kija almost sobbed.

"Oh yeah.." Hak frowned, remembering the reason now. Either Joo-doh wanted to punish all of them or he wanted to add more punishment to Hak for what happened earlier and knew that this would irritate him.

Somehow, Hak knew that it was the second option. Bastard.

Although, he hadn't sent Katsu to go with him, so although small, Hak had to admit that the general had some sort of heart.

"Things would have been so much better if the Water Tribe had just come to the capital instead."

Hak turned around again to look at the deflated knight. "Look I don't know what to tell you. Maybe the emperor wanted to travel?"

Kija scoffed at the idea. "I don't see why he would. Nothing around here seems very...appealing," he said warily eyeing a strange bug, climbing up the side of a tree trunk.

"Not a fan of the outdoors, Kija?"

Kija turned to face Hak who was currently wearing a laughing smirk. Narrowing his eyes, Kija started walking ahead of him. "I honestly don't know why I bother talking to you."

Hak started following him. "Hey I'm okay with not talking, but if you don't mind, why not help me carry some of the firewood? I kind of feel like I'm doing all the work here."

Kija didn't reply, but kept on walking. He didn't like this forest, and all things considered, nobody could blame him. Glancing between the trees as he walked, Kija couldn't shake off a creepy feeling. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't hear anything...besides the slow, swirling sound of the light wind.

Was it meant to be this quiet?

"Silent treatment huh? Guessing that means you're really not gonna help me at all?" Hak asked again as he reached for another piece of wood.

The wind swept through Kija, a slight breeze, but it only made him feel more uncomfortable. Something wasn't right.

Were they really safe here? Or did the werewolves see them passing by with the royal carriage? If that was the case, that would mean that the enemy would surely take a chance on attacking the royal family. Right?

Gulping, Kija's mind went back to where the princess was sleeping soundly in the carriage, just outside the border. He was too far away to protect her. He didn't like it.

Stopping in his tracks, Kija turned his head, trying to see through the darkness. Why'd it have to be so much darker in the forest? The trees acting as a roof, preventing any light from the moon to shine through.

He would be at a disadvantage here. His strength could only get him so far. Taking a step back, Kija's heart started to beat faster. He could feel it. The weighty feeling of someone's eyes following him.

They were being watched.

They weren't alone.

Kija nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand touched his shoulder, but before he could strike a blow, he heard Hak's voice. "Kija?"

Turning his head Kija looked up at Hak who wore a confused expression. "You okay? You seem kind of jumpy?"

Looking back out deeper into the forest, Kija stared out for a long moment. That feeling was gone. If there had been anyone there, they must have fled. Why though...he wasn't sure.

"Kija?"

"Did you not feel that?"

Hak's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the question. "Feel what?"

"...A presence, did you not feel it?" Kija whispered as if he was afraid that the enemy would hear him.

Hak let his hand drop back to his side at Kija's words. Looking around him, Hak tried to listen for any signs of another person nearby, but his senses were still numb. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him.

"I don't sense anything Kija," Hak said softly, slightly irritated at his statement. He had thought that he was improving in his human form...unless it was just Kija being...well, Kija.

"Are you sure you felt something?"

Kija didn't answer for a while, his gaze still fixated on a spot out deeper into the forest. He didn't sense anything anymore. He wasn't even completely sure that there was someone there in the first place to be honest. Was it just his imagination or concern for the princess's safety? It was, after all his first time being out here in this part of the land.

Taking a deep breath, the young knight turned back to Hak and started walking back towards the campsite. Whatever it was, he intended to be at the princess's side.

"We should head back. I'm sure you have enough firewood to satisfy general Joo-doh," Kija said, while walking hastily, his body tense.

Hak didn't argue, but looked back into the forest.

It was still quiet, no signs of life...at least, not to human senses. Hak slowly reached up his hand to the necklace hanging around his neck. He would be able to sense anything or anyone if he took it off.

Fisting his hand, Hak lowered it back down, deciding against the idea. He was taking no chances.

One slip up and it would all be over. Besides, it wouldn't be anyone from his pack. They all knew of the plan and were forbidden from coming anywhere near the humans or their border.

He still hadn't discovered anything of use just yet, but maybe he could get something out of this meeting.

Nodding to himself, Hak balanced the heavy pile of wood with both his hands and went to follow Kija.

* * *

By the time they got back to the campsite, the horses had been fed and Min-soo was handing out some food to Joo-doh who sat on a large rock near the carriage and Katsu was polishing his large sword close by.

Kija's eyes seemed to tear up with happiness when he caught sight of the carriage. "We made it! Everything is still alright!"

Hak walked up from behind him before letting out a few puffs of breath. The cold-hearted princess-lover really had made him carry everything back  _and_  on an empty stomach no less. Sure the wood wasn't really that heavy, but when a man's tired and starving, the polite thing to do is help carry the stupid pile of wood!

"I'm  _so_  glad you're happy," Hak said grumpily, before stomping off, passed the shorter man and towards the three other men.

Once he got close enough, Hak dropped the pile of wood onto the ground and then sat himself down in his own spot against the gravel wall, close to the carriage, his glaive resting beside him, having taken it down from his back where he had tied it earlier..

A teasing chuckle sounded from Katsu. "Looks like someone's tired."

Closing his eyes, Hak stretched out his arms and folded them behind his head, trying to get more comfortable. "I'm not in the mood."

Katsu just gave an amused smirk before wiping down his sword again. "Hehe, scary. Guess 'at means I'd better back off ey, pretty boy?"

Hak paid no attention to him and wiggled a bit to get into a good position before letting out a sigh of contentment.

"I wouldn't get too comfortable if I were you," Joo-doh said, looking over at Hak from where he sat.

Hak opened one eye at the general. "Do I want to know why?"

Joo-doh looked back at the apple Min-soo had handed him and started to rub it. "We'll be taking shifts on guarding tonight. We'll just be asking to be attacked if we all fell asleep."

Groaning, Hak sat straight up again and looked properly at Joo-doh. "Are you trying to tell me that I have the pleasure of taking the first shift?"

"I don't really trust leaving you, or Katsu for that matter, to take shifts alone. Either of you would probably just try and kill the other in their sleep."

Hak glared over at Katsu who seemed to be engrossed with his sword. Turning back to Joo-doh, Hak replied, "I won't deny that the thought does sound interesting."

This earned a glare from Joo-doh, while Min-soo gave a shy yet amused smile.

'Finally,' Hak thought catching Min-soo's smile. 'Someone around here has a sense of humor.'

"That's what I thought," Joo-doh sighed before taking a bite of his apple.

Min-soo moved away from Joo-doh and stood next to Hak, offering the bowl of fruit he was carrying. "Care for some fruit, sir Hak? You must be hungry."

For a moment Hak saw light radiating off of the young boy. He was offering the starving werewolf-in-disguise some food. He mentally thought of 100 words of gratitude he could tell the boy, but instead of sounding like a complete idiot, he just said-

"Sure."

Min-soo smiled in response as Hak reached out and picked out an apple for himself.

Not bothering to wipe or clean the apple (why bother right? He had eaten way worse things than a partially unclean apple), Hak merely took a large bite out of it. It tasted like happiness.

"Anyway, as I was saying. We will need to take shifts tonight...and any other night we camp out on this mission," Joo-doh continued, looking back at Hak. "And since I don't trust leaving you or Katsu alone, I've decided that the shifts will be done in pairs."

Hak nodded, more interested in the satisfying feeling of having something in his stomach again and reached for a pear this time. He hoped Min-soo wasn't going anywhere anytime soon with that bowl of fruit.

Necklace or no necklace, he still had the appetite of a werewolf.

"I think it would be better like this anyway, since two people would be able to look out for each other and it would also mean double the security," Joo-doh said.

Swallowing, Hak replied, "Sounds good to me, just don't expect a lot of conversation from me."

"Oh, no, I won't be your partner Hak. That would be Kija."

Hak paused in taking another bite of his pear and turned to look at the general. "You have got to be kidding me," he said, removing the fruit from his lips.

"What did you expect? You most definitely cannot be paired up with Katsu and although better, Kija and Katsu are not the best of comrades lately. Besides, I thought that the two of you were becoming friends?"

Hak opened his mouth, ready to argue, but stopped when he noticed the angry glint forming in Joo-doh's eyes, daring him to go against him. The general had seemed to have calmed down nicely since he went to get firewood. It wouldn't be the best idea to ruin it again.

Hak let out a grumble of defeat before turning away from the general and taking another bite of his pear.

"Um...where is sir Kija anyway?" Min-soo questioned silently, still standing besides Hak.

"Marvelling at the sight of the princess's carriage," Hak grumbled from below him. "That guy's into some really weird stuff."

"Why would he be doing that?" Joo-doh asked.

"He was worried about her, pretty much the reason why we returned so quickly. So if you don't like the quality of the wood, it was his fault."

Joo-doh raised his eyebrow at the man, before standing up and brushing himself off. "Katsu and I will be taking the first shift as we are the least tired. We'll wake you and Kija up when it's you turn." And with that Joo-doh made his way over to the firewood to start the fire.

"Sir Kija is just really attached to her highness," Min-soo said, once the general left to attend to the firewood. "It is actually quite noble."

Hak chuckled at that. "I think the word you are actually looking for is, 'obsessed'."

Min-soo tilted his head at the man, before reaching into the bowl and giving Hak some more fruit.

"I suppose that it could be taken that way, but he really is a kind man," Min-soo smiled at Hak. "The same goes for Katsu. It just takes some time to see it."

Hak stared at the young man standing in front of him quizzically. "Is Joo-doh paying you to tell me this?"

Min-soo shook his head. "Of course not. It's just that I believe in never judging others, no matter what their faults are."

"Sounds challenging."

Min-soo held the bowl tighter to his chest, giving another smile to the knight. "Not really. It's how I would want to be treated if I were ever in the wrong. Believe me, they may seem strange or overbearing to you, but they both share a fierce desire to protect this kingdom and I honor them for that."

Hak gave a small smile. That was kind of the problem.

"Anyway, I'm sure that one day you and those two will be good friends!" Min-soo said, starting to walk away to find Kija and offer him some food too. "Good night sir Hak!"

Hak nodded his head at the departing servant boy. 'Not likely Min-soo. Not likely. _'_

* * *

Yona groaned in annoyance inside the carriage. It was so uncomfortable in here. She really had no idea how her father was able to sleep so easily. His snoring really didn't help with getting her beauty rest either.

Rolling over onto her side, the princess glared at her father who lay on the carriage floor below her. He had been kind to go and give his daughter the comfy seat to sleep on, but right now, he princess wished that she had never decided to join him on this trip in the first place.

But, she was here and so, Yona closed her eyes once more and tried to block out the snoring and the sound of crickets outside.

What was Soo-won up to at this moment?

'Most assuredly sleeping _,'_ Yona thought dreamily.

She wondered what he had done today. Had he missed her at all? Was he awake thinking about her right now like she was?

Sighing sadly, Yona pulled the blankets tighter. Who was she kidding? Soo-won was probably too busy with her uncle today or doing something princely-like, like thinking of ways to end starvation. He had no time to think about her, even if they were engaged.

To be honest, it felt more like he took the arrangement as a game and as usual didn't take her very seriously.

Turning to now lay on her back, Yona stared up hopelessly at the carriage roof. Did Soo-won even want to marry her? Was he only doing this for the sake of the kingdom?

The thought only depressed the princess.

Shaking her head, Yona gave a determined smile. No! She would not have doubts about their marriage. If her troubling thoughts were really the truth, then she would do whatever she could to make them false.

She would be a great wife, one that Soo-won would be proud of and in time, he would fall for her too.

Until then, she had enough love for both of them.

Nodding to nobody in peculiar, Yona let her eyes flutter down again and allowed herself to drift back to sleep.

_***SNORE!*** _

Yona's eyes shot open at the sudden loud noise her father made from below. She let out a small groan and rubbed her eyes.

It was useless.

* * *

Hak sat in front of the crackling fire and poked it every once and a while with a stick he had found. The fire wasn't as strong as it had been a few hours ago, and would probably die in a little while.

It was a little after midnight, if he had to guess. Joo-doh and Katsu had taken the first shift and had woken him and Kija to take the next, which was about an hour ago.

Hak felt a bit better now that he had gotten some sleep, not much, but some.

Hak's eyes shifted to some movement but he realized that it was just Min-soo turning in his sleep. The young servant had chosen to sleep near the carriage, in case one of the royal's needed him during the night.

Katsu was further away, sleeping surprisingly silently in his own little corner. The real noise came from the scarred general a few feet away from the fire. Not only did he snore, but he also seemed to talk in his sleep. Well, more like give out orders.

Hak was suddenly grateful that the Joo-doh hadn't been his partner. He wouldn't have been able to sleep with all that, and really didn't understand how Katsu had managed.

Shrugging it off, Hak let his attention move to where Kija was sitting quiet tensely against the rocky wall. His eyes stayed focused out into the forest.

It was the longest time that Hak witnessed the man to be so quiet.

"You alright?" Hak asked the tense knight who twitched before reluctantly turning from the forest to Hak.

"Yes, why?"

Hak looked into the forest. "Just seems like you're trying to intimidate the forest."

"It's called 'being on your guard' Hak. You never know what can jump out of there."

Hak stretched his arms out and before running his hand through his dark hair. "I don't know. Seems pretty peaceful tonight."

Kija raised a silver eyebrow at him. "How did you manage to escape a werewolf attack? I feel like you have no survival skills at all."

Hak groaned at the now famous question, before standing up, grabbing his glaive and walking towards the forest. "I guess the universe loved me too much to let me die."

Kija stood up quickly, but didn't move any further away from the carriage. "Where do you think you're going?"

Hak looked over his shoulder, not stopping his steps. "I need to take a leak! I think you can let me handle this on my own, right?"

Kija looked around nervously, before whispering sternly, "But, you can't just walk into the forest by yourself! Just go behind a rock or something!"

Hak looked in front of him again and continued to walk. "I like my privacy! And one of us needs to stay on guard. I won't be long."

Kija looked defeated, but still unsure. "But…"

"Relax! The universe loves me, remember?"

And with that, he walked through the trees that started the forbidden forest, disappearing form Kija's sight.

* * *

Hak let out a content sigh, feeling a lot better now and then fixing himself up again.

Taking a look around, Hak breathed in the cool forest air. It really was peaceful tonight. Almost like the forest was empty, allowing him some much needed privacy.

Hak knew it couldn't last for long though. He'd better get back to the campsite before Kija started to think he had been killed or worse...before Joo-doh woke up and found him missing.

He had enough of a cranky Joo-doh for one day, and with that thought, Hak started making his way back to the campsite when he heard a twig snap.

Hak abruptly stopped and swirled around, eyes scanning the dark forest. He definitely heard that.

Once again, everything was quiet.

Gripping his glaive, Hak tried to get a hold of his senses. He was no fool. He had had a lot of training in hunting from Man-dok. Although his senses were dull, he still had intuition.

For a few minutes, nothing happened and Hak was close to thinking it was just his imagination or just some animal.

Taking a few steps back, Hak looked through the forest once more before slowly turning around and continuing his walk, still clutching his weapon and slowly reaching inside his clothes for the special dagger Joo-doh had given him.

A sound of footsteps was heard, so fast it could have been taken as the wind, suddenly and Hak's senses shouted out to him.

In an instant he turned around and threw his dagger towards the noise and leaped in the same direction, ready to swing his weapon at whoever was hiding between the trees.

A yell of surprise sounded as soon as Hak erupted towards the sound, only to stop mid-swing and instead stare dumbly in confusion at the person lying on the ground against the tree. The dagger had been thrown so hard that it had lodged itself into the bark of the tree, only centimeters away from the shocked boy's cheek.

"Han-Dae?"

Said boy only managed a small, trembling smile at the older werewolf. "H-hi master Hak."

Hak blinked, trying to decide if this was really happening.

"You just had to get caught didn't you?" Another, more calm, yet annoyed voice was heard from behind Hak.

Hak snapped around to see none other than Tae-Woo, another werewolf. The younger dark haired teen stood in a relaxed stance as he glared at the still shaken up blonde.

"What are the two of you doing here!?" Hak demanded, turning from one werewolf to the other. "None of the pack is allowed to go anywhere near the border!"

"We had a good reason," Tae-Woo answered.

Hak's eye twitched. "And that is?"

A nervous chuckle came from the blonde on the ground as he scratched the back of his head. "He-he, well, we saw the carriage from the mountains, you see? And wanted to see how things were going."

Hak gave the blonde a look, before rubbing his hand over in face and groaning. "Please tell me you have something better than that?"

"We missed you?" Han-Dae offered innocently.

"That and we really did want to see how the plan was going," Tae-Woo said, passing Hak and pulling Han-Dae back onto his feet.

Hak let out a deep breath. "If Gi-gan finds out about this-"

"She'll 'kill us', we know. Don't act like you've always followed the rules. We've heard stories," Tae-Woo challenged with a smirk.

'Damn. He got me there _,'_ Hak thought, slightly impressed, slightly irritated. He wondered who would have ratted him out to these two, of all werewolves.

A deviously smiling image of Jae-ha flashed in his mind Hak and he made a mental note to get him back when this was all over.

"This is different," Hak sighed and moved to retrieve his dagger and then place it back into his clothes. "It could mean trouble for us if the humans saw you."

Both werewolves gave off proud smiles.

" _Please,"_ Han-Dae bragged. "We've been following you guys since midday and none of you even noticed."

"Well...that white-haired knight almost did," Tae-Woo admitted, crossing his arms.

Hak remembered when they were getting firewood -scratch that- when  _he_ was getting firewood, how Kija had acted so weirdly in the forest and thought that something was there. He had been right and Hak hadn't even noticed anything.

"I'm kinda surprised that you didn't figure out that we were here sooner," Tae-Woo voiced.

Hak's hand absentmindedly found its way up to the necklace. His senses _were_  really off, but they had worked better a while ago. Was he getting better or not?

"Yeah! That was the first time I've come so close to sneaking up on master Hak," Han-Dae marvelled at his own brilliance.

"And we might not have gotten caught if  _someone_ hadn't been so noisy," Tae-Woo said, staring at Han-Dae accusingly.

Han-Dae let out another nervous chuckle. "Aha yeah, sorry about that, Tae-Woo. That twig sort of came out of nowhere."

"We're in a forest, there are twigs everywhere," Tae-Woo deadpanned.

Han-Dae's eyes widened in realization before he rubbed the back of his neck in shame with an apologetic smile. "Oh right. My bad!"

Hak looked back at the two werewolves and sighed. "Does anybody know that you two are here?"

Both turned their attention back to Hak and shook their heads.

"No," Tae-Woo answered. "They think we're out on a hunting trip."

Hak raised his eyebrow suspiciously. "And they just let the two of you go hunting alone?"

"They said we had to take an older werewolf with us and we did," Han-Dae said.

Hak looked around, but was almost certain there was nobody else here. Looking back at the smiling werewolves in front of him, Hak asked, "Who'd you take with?"

"Elder Wook," Tae-Woo smirked.

Hak couldn't help but grin. Elder Wook was an extremely old clan member; probably the oldest and he could barely stay awake for more than an hour, let alone go on a hunting trip. Honestly Hak didn't understand how he had survived the attack years ago. Well...he was most likely younger back then, but Hak just could not picture it.

"We gave him some special herbs a few trees back. He won't be up for a while," Han-Dae continued to explain.

"Though even if he did wake up, I doubt he'd even notice we were missing," Tae-Woo said.

Hak shook his head in amusement. "You two are determined. I'll give you that."

"What did you expect? The Wind clan moves freely. We do what we want," Han-Dae laughed.

"When we want," Tae-Woo agreed.

Hak hummed with a grin. No matter what it goes through, the Wind clan would never lose their famous spirit.

"How's the pack doing?"

"Same as usual. Everybody's talking about Gi-gan's plan. They seem to be more at ease knowing that you took on the job." Tae-Woo said.

"But they're all still pretty freaked out about the humans wanting to clear us out." Han-Dae pitched in with a concerned frown.

Hak nodded in understanding. It was expected. The clan had feared another wipe out, like the one years ago, since they escaped. They could surely defend themselves against any human, but stood no chance against a whole army armed with those special weapons.

"What about Mon-dak and Tae-Yeon?" Hak asked.

"Elder Mon-dak is still pretty pissed that you left," Tae-Woo said with a cringe. "He's been keeping to himself lately and refuses to speak with Gi-gan."

Han-Dae nodded. "He still isn't a fan of her plan, but besides that they are okay. Jae-ha keeps an eye on them."

Hak felt some relief for his worries at that last statement. At least droopy eyes had kept to his word. He just hoped that Mon-dak would get some sense knocked into him. There was no peaceful way to handle this. There never was.

"So, did you find out anything yet?" Tae-Woo asked.

Hak sighed and leaned onto his glaive. "No, not yet. We're headed to the Water clan. Hoping I'll get something out of it."

"It is still early I guess," Tae-Woo shrugged.

"Um, so like, why are you traveling with them anyway?" Han-Dae asked, eyeing the large weapon in Hak's hands.

Hak leaned off his gliave and swung it to rest over his shoulders, his hands supporting it on either side.

"The king wanted me as one of his knights."

"You? A knight?" Han-Dae questioned with a look of astonishment.

"Well, that's one way to get them to trust you," Tae-Woo sceptically said.

Han-Dae let out a laugh. "Ha ha, say, does this mean we should worry that you're gonna turn against us for the humans?"

Hak's gaze darkened and he leaned down to overshadow the blonde werewolf. "I've had a bad day already. Don't tempt me."

Shuffling among the trees along with footsteps could be heard, causing all three werewolves to stiffen.

"Hak!?" Kija's voice called out, moving closer towards them with each hurried step.

'Shit _,'_  Hak thought, before turning back to the two werewolves. "You two need to get out of here,  _now,"_  he whispered.

Han-Dae and Tae-Woo nodded and started to run further into the forest.

Tae-Woo stopped for a moment and looked back at Hak. "If you need any help, call on us master Hak. The clan is with you."

Hak tore his gaze away from where Kija's footsteps were coming from and looked back at him.

"I can handle this job," he whispered back, before letting a smirk form on his lips. "But what I do need is for two of the best werewolves to protect the pack. Think you and Han-Dae can handle that?"

Tae-Woo gave a confident grin and nodded. "Easily."

With that, the young werewolf bolted back after Han-Dae, though nowhere near as fast.

Hak watched the two disappear before taking a deep breath and then walking closer to where Kija was calling for him.

It didn't take long to find the silver-haired knight and Hak made him jump when he came into view from behind the trees.

"Damn it Kija, can't a man even have a little bit of privacy?" Hak asked in his bored voice. He really hoped those two troublemakers went straight back to the pack.

Kija pressed his hand to his heart from Hak's sudden entrance and let out a sigh of relief before giving the taller male a stern look. "You were gone for a long time! I thought my suspicions were right and you were eaten by werewolves!"

Hak rolled his eyes at the drama. "I told you I needed to take a leak didn't I?

"For that long!?"

Hak shrugged and started heading back towards the campsite. "I drank a lot of water."

Kija huffed at that and moved to walk in front of him, grumbling to himself.

"Hak smirked at the man. "I have to say, I'm surprised that you left your precious princess with no security."

"I didn't leave her unprotected!" Kija replied, looking over his shoulder at him, offended that Hak would think he'd do that.

Hak's smirk faded and a confused look crossed his face. "Huh?"

Kija turned to look ahead again. "I woke up general Joo-Doh to guard the princess while I went to find you."

Hak stopped in his tracks, his face paled.

"You did what?"

 


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not Everything goes as planned...

" _The next morning was an early one...in fact I think that it was the earliest I've ever woken up before in my life, probably because of the bad sleeping arrangements my father and I had._

_I was really upset with him about it back then, though it seems silly now..."_

" _I remember it had been our second morning on our journey. We had to be couscous and all I wanted to do was hurry up and get to our destination."_

" _Thinking back on that moment, I don't think I would have ever imagined that it would be the turning point in my life. I was, after all...only a sheltered princess."_

* * *

"Princess..?"

The princess let out an annoyed [lady-like] groan and tried to block out the small, but constant, voice coming from outside the carriage.

"Princess Yona? It's time to wake up." Min-soo's voice came again.

"Go away..." the still sleepy princess murmured from inside the carriage, keeping her eyes closed.

She had gotten close to no sleep last knight.

It was one thing to sleep in a carriage, but it was another to have to listen to her father's obnoxious snoring. She didn't even want to think about the noises from outside!

"I'm sorry princess, but your breakfast is waiting for you. I would have brought it to you, but his majesty thought it would be nice for the two of you to enjoy it outside together."

Yona buried her tangled-curly head deeper into the carriage's cushions. Did she _really_ have to eat out there? The weather must be freezing at this hour!

Maybe if she just kept quiet…

"Yona? Yona are you awake yet?" came the concerned voice that was her father.

'Drat!' Yona thought despairingly, now opening her eyes and slowly rolled onto her back, a full pout starting to form on her tired face.

"Yes father, I'm awake," Yona sighed out loud enough for the emperor to hear.

"Oh good!"came his cheery reply. "Come outside and have some breakfast with me. The morning air is quite refreshing!"

Yona closed her eyes disapprovingly. "Couldn't I just have my breakfast in here, father? You wouldn't want me to catch a cold out there, would you?"

'Please, just let me sleep. _'_

"Don't be ridiculous Yona! The air will do you nothing but good!" the emperor easily replied.

Not wanting to give in that easily, Yona replied, "But...! Isn't it too dangerous for me to be out there in the open? I'd rather stay in here where I'm safe!"

A light chuckle could be heard from outside. "You don't have to worry about that Yona. General Joo-Doh has made sure this area is safe."

Letting out a breath of defeat, Yona pushed herself up and looked towards the door.

"Oh, all right, but allow me to change first," she said, starting to stand up. There was no way she was going out there looking like a peasant in front of some of the knights – think of the rumors! "Please tell Min-soo to bring me my clothes for the day."

"That's the spirit!" her father said outside the carriage.

Yona didn't try to reply, she was busy trying to remember why she left the sanctuary of her palace where her warm bed and darling Soo-won were probably missing her.

'Oh right, Lili,' Yona thought grouchily.

It had been such a long time since she had last seen her friend – her only girl friend, she might add – and this seemed like the only chance she would get to see her until her wedding day.

'Still though...maybe it wouldn't have been so bad to have waited til then?' Yona thought, while letting out a small yawn.

A gentle knock sounded at the carriage door.

"Princess? I've brought you your clothes for the day," Min-soo announced politely.

Giving one last huff, the princess made her way to the door, to receive her clothes.

'Lili better be happy to see me,' Yona thought pouting.

After all she did have to dress herself this morning.

* * *

Hak sat beside his horse a few feet away from the campsite, munching on an apple Min-soo had brought him earlier, along with some porridge, that he'd already eaten.

The meal wasn't so bad, but in all honesty, he was really starting to miss meat. Hopefully when they got to the water tribe, they'd be able to get a descent meal.

Though weren't the water tribe heavy vegetarians or something?

Taking another bite of his apple, Hak allowed the sinking feeling of disappointment to settle.

'But food's food I guess,' thought Hak absentmindedly. 'Shouldn't get too picky.'

His horse made a neighing sound beside him, catching the young werewolf's attention, but did nothing else.

Swallowing, Hak held out the half eaten apple towards her, resulting in the horse slowly, but gradually accepting the offer and finishing up the fruit.

Hak watched with a small smile, before stretching out his arms above his head and then lowing himself down on the floor in a relaxed position.

It would still take a while before they reached the Water Tribe. Which also meant that he would have to wait longer before he got anything decent to report back to Gi-gan.

….If he'd find out anything at all, that is. There was always that outcome too.

"Why are you sitting over here by yourself?"

Hak opened his eyes to see Kija bent over him, hands on his hips and a questioning look on his face.

A scrawl formed it's way on Hak's face. Of all people, it had to be him.

"Get lost Kija," Hak said, glaring straight up at the silver-haired knight.

Standing up straight, Kija walked around him. "You're till upset about last night then, I gather?"

"Gee...you think?" Hak rolled his eyes.

When they got back last night, Hak had received a mouthful from Joo-Doh, thanks to Kija having tattled on him for leaving his post to take a leak.

On the upside, Joo-Doh had done it quietly so that he wouldn't wake the royals sleeping soundly in the carriage.

Somehow though, that fact had made it worse.

Now, the general kept sending him glares whenever he caught sight of him and Hak was sure that somehow, someway, he was going to be punished later.

Yeah, that's _just_ what he needed.

"I apologize for that," Kija said, still not leaving. "But in my defense you were gone a long time, you know? What was I supposed to do?"

"Hn," Hak mumbled from where he lay, deciding to let it go for now and focus on relaxing.

Kija scrawled down at his partner. "You know you could at least pretend to take interest in this mission and maybe patrol the area?"

"I am patrolling, I'm listening for any baddies close by," Hak replied easily.

"I'm sure," Kija frowned, before turning his gaze toward the now open carriage doors and on the princess who was climbing out of it.

"The princess is up early this morning!" Kija announced excitedly.

 _Hooray,_ " Hak sarcastically offered from his place on the ground, causing Kija to shoot him an aggravated glare.

"Just make sure you're ready when we need to move again," Kija breathed and started walking his way over to greet the princess a good morning.

Hak gave a small smirk, before opening his eyes and taking a small glance towards the carriage area.

The princess seemed to not be the best mood this morning, judging by the grumpy look on her face and the way her hair stood out at all angles.

'Guess she didn't get much sleep last night,' Hak gathered. He almost sympathized with her. Almost.

Deciding that he better get up before Joo-Doh decided to pay him a visit, Hak stood up, stretched and picked up his porridge plate, before walking over to the others.

* * *

"It's quite astounding, isn't it? You can't breath this sort of air back at the castle," the emperor awed, while holding his tea cup.

"You enjoy the smell of dirt father?" Yona asked with a scrunched up nose, her tea already finished.

Emperor Il only shrugged and smiled at his beloved daughter, before taking a sip of his hot beverage. It tasted delicious!.

"It's just the experience Yona," he said, setting the cup down on the small table Min-soo had laid out for them. "I'll admit that I couldn't see myself living out here or even coming out for everyday-strolls, but it is a nice change...at least once."

Yona rested her head on her hand and started to fan herself with her other hand. "Well  _I_  can't understand how anyone would want to live out here. The humidity is terrible and there's nothing to do!"

The emperor gave her a sympathetic smile. "I suppose that it does depend on the person, whether or not to enjoy it."

Gaining no response back, besides a non-amused look, the emperor cleared his throat and decided to change the subject. "Are you looking forward to seeing lady Lili again?"

Yona's expression changed to one of a more excited one. "Yes, I am. I'm sure she's heard loads of new gossip and I cannot wait to try on some of her tribe's new clothes! Oh, please say you'll allow me to bring some home with us Father?" Yona finished with puppy-dog eyes.

Letting out a laugh, the emperor reached out and gently patted his daughter's crimson head, earning a small puff of annoyance from the princess.

"Of cause Yona, You may have as many items as you'd like to bring back with you, if that's really what you want."

Yona smiled at the offer and decided to forgive her father for messing up her hair further than it already was.

"Of cause, I don't think general Joo-Doh will be very charmed with this news," Il mused, reaching for his tea again. "Poor man really does worry. Maybe I should consider giving him a day off when we return home."

Glancing towards the scarred general, Yona couldn't imagine him relaxing. She'd never even seen him smile before either…

"Not that he'd ever agree to it," the emperor carried on blissfully. "Though I should be grateful for that. He has done a fantastic job of protecting us from the enemy. Him and the other generals."

Turning back to her father, Yona asked, "But wouldn't the wall separating us from the werewolves keep us safe, even without the generals guarding us?"

Pausing before taking his sip, the emperor gave a reassuring and somewhat bashful smile. "Oh dear, this talk must have been boring you to death." Letting out a small laugh, he continued, "You mustn't worry about such things Yona. We've never been as safe as we are now and that won't change for many, many more years."

"Oh I wasn't worried," Yona replied easily. "It just popped into my mind."

The emperor gave a complex expression. "Is this something that you often think about? You know that I'd never let anything happen to y-"

"Emperor Il," Joo-doh interrupted. "Pardon my intrusion, but I'd like to speak with you about our future travel plans."

"O-of course, general," the emperor smiled politely, earning nothing but a stern nod back from the general. Looking apologetically to his daughter, he said, "I'm sorry Yona, I won't be too long. Enjoy the scenery and tea without me for the time being."

Staring blankly at her father, Yona almost asked which scenery he was referring to; the rapid amount of trees or the rocky mountain walls separating them from Kyouka's capital.

Was it possible that her father was taunting her?

Joo-doh pulled her out of her thoughts by greeting her with an uptight "Princess" and she watched him and her father walk off to somewhere out of earshot.

Turning back with an exaggerated huff, the princess sank down to lay on her arms, leaning over the small table and closed her eyes.

'Only a few more days. Only a few more days,' she repeated in her head, trying to keep herself from ordering them to take her back to the castle.

It would be better if it weren't for the dirt and the lack of entertainment and poor hygiene and that gravel smell, and...

What was the point of listing them? It just went on and on!

"Life got you down princess?"

Yona almost jumped out of her skin. Jolting up into a proper sitting position, she turned to see Hak looking down at her, while holding a few bags of luggage.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" Yona scolded the new knight.

"I just walked over hear," Hak blankly stated.

Turning away and sticking her nose high, the princess asked, "Did you want something?"

"Nope," Hak said, before leaning down and picking up another bag nearby and then balancing it with the others that he was holding. "Just came for this. Gotta start loading everything again."

"O-h," Yona replied lamely. Truthfully she was a bit disappointed. Hak may not be the ideal company, but she could do for some at the moment. Specifically not her father...or general Joo-doh...or Katsu.

"Very good then, um...your trouble is well appreciated," Yona awkwardly said. Maybe if she was nice to him, he'd carry on with the conversation.

What she got instead was what could be described as a 'What-the-heck' look from Hak.

"D-don't look at me like that! This is the time when you thank me for noticing your effort!" Yona spluttered, feeling slightly stupid.

This was Hak after all. Had she forgotten how much of a pig he could be to her?

Raising an eyebrow, Hak asked, "Is that an order, princess?"

"Of cause not! It's just being polite," she grumbled.

"I should be honored that you were checking me out? Someone thinks high of themselves," Hak snickered at the obviously annoyed princess.

"You could only be so lucky!" the princess snarled at him from her sitting place. She was getting a headache. Why did all their conversations end this way?

"It's what I dream about at night," Hak breathed sarcastically, while turning to make his way to the carriage.

Rubbing her temples, Yona and told herself to breath. 'Be a good princess. Be a good princess.'

"Princess Yona, would you care for another cup of tea?"called out Min-soo, walking back to the young girl.

"No thank you, I've just about had enough of tea," Yona muttered. To be honest she didn't really feel like anything. "How much further do you think it will be until we reach the water tribe, Min-soo?" she asked when he was closer.

Pausing before tidying up the small table, Min-soo gave a thoughtful look before replying, "A few more days perhaps. The water tribe is quite far from the capital."

Pouting, Yona turned to look at the carriage. It seemed to be almost fully packed again "I'm fed up with travel. I wish we were already there."

Giving a small laugh, Min-soo picked up the tray of tea cups and plates and smiled at the princess. "Don't worry, princess. We'll be there before you know it and who knows? You might come to find that you enjoyed the journey."

Giving her personal-servant a polite smile, Yona sincerely doubted his words.

Nodding his leave, Min-soo went to pack away his tray.

Deciding that she was bored of sitting by herself, Yona got up and starting walking towards the carriage as well.

'Enjoy the journey?' Yona thought. 'What part of this is meant to be enjoyable?'

Coming to a stop in front of the carriage, Yona was about to step inside when Katsu stepped into her line of view.

"Everything a-right princess?" the big brute of a man asked, smirking down at the tiny princess.

Today just wasn't her day, was it?

"I'm quite alright, thank you Knight, excuse me," Yona evenly replied and proceeded to reach for the carriage door, behind him, but Katsu blocked her way, by leaning his arm on the door.

"Really now? Cause it seems like ya in need of some company," he said. "Ya know, I'm always available for hers majesty."

Yona's smile twitched at the offer. "Is that so?"

"Anything to serve me country," he chuckled. "I'd think ya find me quite the entertainer."

Giving off a fake laugh herself, Yona took a step back from the knight. "Thank you for your concern, but I would just like to get some rest," she hinted to the best of her ability. "So if you'd please.."

"Move aside Katsu, you're meant to protect the princess, not traumatize her," Hak pitched up from behind the princess, gaining both her and Katsu's attention.

"Buzz off Pretty boy," Katsu sneered, his hand on the door forming a fist. "Else I make ya."

"Is that anyway to behave in front of royalty?" Hak smirked.

'Like you're one to talk,' Yona thought accusingly.

"I was just make'n sure hers highness was okay, like a good knight should," Katsu Growled at Hak. "Not like ya'd know anything bout that."

Hak only titled his head at the other knight, silently challenging him to make a move against him.

Deciding that he didn't want to be in Joo-Doh's bad books like Hak already was, Katsu chose to ignore the challenge and instead smirked back down at the princess. "Like I was say'n, if ya ever in need of some good company, come find me."

With one more glare directed at Hak, Katsu left the two and made his way over to saddle up his horse, passing Kija, who looked confused by the man's edgy demeanor.

Letting out a relieved smile, Yona looked up at the other knight.

"You do realize that he wasn't actually threatening me, right?"

Looking down at her with a raised eyebrow, Hak replied, "I was referring to his flirting."

Yona rolled her eyes at the comment, but she was grateful none the less. Hak wasn't her ideal company, but it was a million times better than Katsu. "I suppose this is when I thank you?"

"Oh, don't worry about it," Hak smiled. "I didn't do it for you. I just really like to irritate him."

"That's not something you tell your princess..." Yona deadpanned.

"And princesses shouldn't flirt with their knights."

"I-I wasn't! I would never!" Yona paled at the mere thought of flirting with Katsu.

She realized one second later that Hak was teasing her, when she saw his smirk.

"You're awful."

"I try princess."

"Please tell me that you have not insulted the princess again," Kija pleaded, walking over to the two, his hands on his hips.

"Oy, where were you when Joo-Doh ordered us to start packing up?" Hak asked, ignoring Kija's question.

Frowning at Hak, Kija sighed, "It's _general_ Joo-Doh, Hak. Did your previous village not teach you any respect for authority?"

"We believe in equality for all."

"Very funny," Kija said not amused.

"It is a good question though Kija," the princess voiced, pouting. "Where were you? I was forced to receive the company of people like him all morning," she continued, gesturing to Hak.

"You know what? Next time I'll let Katsu go ahead and 'entertain you'," Hak frowned.

"Forgive me princess! General Joo-Doh sent me on ahead to scope the area and I – entertain?" Kija asked, loosing his train of thought.

"That's right," Hak smirked teasingly at the silver-haired knight. "Seems to me like I'm not the one you need to be worrying about when it comes to the princess."

"Not the one..." Kija repeated, feeling lost and trying to clear out this confusing situation. Oh why did the general have to send  _him_  out?

"Never mind him, Kija," Yona said, face paling from the not-so-long-ago memory. "It's over now. Let's not speak of it any longer."

"But I'm not sure I understand princes-"

"Oh Look!" Yona interrupted with a forced smile. "There's father and General Joo-Doh. They must have have finished their meeting." Lifting her skirts slightly, so that they wouldn't drag against the dirty ground, Yona started walking towards her father and the general. "I think I'll go and see how it went."

"W-wait princess!" Kija tried.

"I'll stay here and guard the carriage," Hak called out to them, eyeing general Joo-Doh wearily.

"Don't be ridiculous," Kija scolded, already walking behind the princess. "We need to hear our next orders anyway."

Giving the manliest pout in history, Hak complied and followed behind them.

"Ah Yona!" the king happily greeted and smiled at the two knights behind her. "I'm sorry I took so long. Did you enjoy your tea?"

"I don't mean to rush you, your majesty," Joo-Doh said before Yona could answer. "But, we really shouldn't be wasting time. I'd like to make more ground before the light leaves us again."

Nodding understandingly, the emperor turned to his daughter. "Let's do as he says Yona. Best we get back inside the carriage."

If Yona hadn't been raised with manners, she'd have half a mind to exclaim that she never wanted to leave the carriage in the first place.

But years of etiquette forced her to only nod in reply. For now anyway.

"Alright then," Il smiled, before turning back to the general. "I trust that the rest of our journey will be just as restful as yesterday."

"Without question,' General Joo-Doh assured and then looked at the two knights. "Prepare to leave. It's going to be a long day."

With that, the general escorted the two royals back into the carriage.

Hak hosting himself back onto his horse and adjusted his glaive to sit more comfortably on his back. He wondered how many more days it would take to reach the Water village. He was itching to get some dirt on the humans. Heck, he'd settle for a spot of it.

Shaking his head, Hak mentally told himself to be patient. It was still too early to actually gain anything useful. If anything, he should be proud that he was welcomed so quickly.

"Sir Hak, have you got everything you need?" Min-soo asked, standing next to Hak's horse.

Turning his attention to the kind servant, Hak nodded. "Think so, I carry pretty light. What about you? Ready for another days travel?"

Min-soo smiled at the dark-haired knight. "Yes I am. It's not like I can complain much. I have the easiest job on this mission."

"I beg to differ," Hak chuckled.

"You'd better take your seat now Min-soo," Kija instructed, walking towards the two and taking his own seat on the carriage, closer to Hak. "We don't want to keep General Joo-Doh waiting any longer."

"Wise words," Hak spoke of experience.

"Understood," Min-soo nodded at Kija and moved over to his own seat, closer to Katsu, who was already settled on his horse.

"Listen up men!" General Joo-Doh called, trotting over to the rest of them on his horse, in front of the carriage. "I've received word that the Water Tribe has sent out men to meet up with us soon, in hopes of protecting the emperor and his daughter."

"Heh? They don't think we can handle this ourselves," Katsu scoffed.

"Actually, I think it was quite kind of them," Min-soo quietly defended them.

"If ya ain't a knight, ya ain't got no business talking," Katsu snarled down at said boy, making him shrink closer to Kija.

"You do realize he handles your food, right?" Hak questioned.

"Shudup," Katsu warned, glaring daggers at Hak. "Ya barely qualify ya self!"

"Well I think that's wonderful news!" Kija rejoiced. "They must have sent them a while ago, if they're so close though?"

Joo-Doh nodded. "Seems so. At any rate, this will do us some good. But I still expect you to be on your guard. Extra help or not. And most of all – to follow orders."

A slight chill went through Hak, and he was certain that the general had his name in his mind at that last sentence. It would seem that forgiveness has not yet been granted.

Each man voiced their understanding and just like that, they were off again.

* * *

"How'd it get so hot!?" Katsu complained for the millionth time that afternoon.

Hours after departing, the weather seemed to have taken a rather humid turn and Katsu seemed to deem it important to remind them of this fact every few minutes.

"You know, legend says that if you shut up, you're likely to cool off faster,' Hak said grumpily from his side of the carriage, wiping his sweaty forehead.

"I'd watch ya mouth brat! I ain't in NO mood for ya right now!" Katsu threatened, face blown red.

"Would the two of you please just be quiet," Kija quietly instructed, he himself, also not fairing too well with the heat. "We need to stay focused."

"Ain't nobody gonna be focused when their skin's peeling off their bodies!" Katsu shot back, making Min-soo flinch.

"As knights, we should be able to handle harsh environments," Kija insisted, his tone taking a low edge to it.

"To heck with that!" Katsu yelled, before steering his horse to get closer to the carriage, so he could reach Min-soo. "Where's the water boy!" he demanded, reaching out to fist the poor boys clothes.

His hands were quickly swatted away by Kija though. "Leave him be, Katsu! We need to be mindful of how much water we use. Just breath and calm yourself."

Huffing angrily, Katsu flared his nostrils at the small servant and moved to go back in his position.

"Fuck that," he muttered and started to loosen some of his armor.

"Wow!" Hak voiced from his side. "If I you strip, I'm quitting!"

Slowly turning his menacing face to look at Hak, Katsu replied, "Then allow me teh plunge out ya eyeballs. That is, unless the heat gets to em first!"

"Even in this weather, I'd like to see you try," Hak scoffed.

"Alright, that's enough!" Joo-doh, who had been previously silent, ordered. "Not another word. If you can't even fight through some hot weather, then I picked the wrong men to accompany me on this mission."

Taking the silence as his answer, the scarred-general turned forward again and continued leading the way.

...

"It's still bloody hot though," Katsu complained again a minute later, earning multiple agitated sighs as replies.

'Maybe I should consider an early retirement before I 'accidentally' murder one of my troops,' Joo-Doh contemplated in his mind.

Behind him, Kija stilled in rubbing his temples when something caught his eye. "There's something up ahead."

Joo-Doh's eyes shot out ahead at the notification. Two figures, it seemed, were walking towards them slowly in the middle of the path.

"It's strange for anyone to be out here...I wonder where they're headed?" Min-soo asked.

"Beats me." Katsu replied. "I only know of one dumb ass, stupid enough teh take a stroll round these parts."

"Excuse me?" Hak hissed at the implied message.

"Guess it's more common then we thought.." Kija softly said.

"Not helping Kija," Hak frowned down at the carriage steer-er.

"Keep moving," their leader ordered, his tone calm. "But keep on your guard."

He got no response, but each member tightened their hold on their reins.

As they neared the upcoming figures, Had couldn't shake off a bad feeling. It couldn't be Han-Dae and Tae-Woo, could it? No, those wolves weren't  _that_  stupid...well, at least not Tae-Woo.

"Not a word," Joo-Doh whispered.

When they were a few feet away from the travelers, the two people came to a stop, blocking the path. Joo-Doh pulled on his horse's reins, halting any further movement and raising his hand in a silent order for the rest to do the same.

Now close enough to get a good look at them, the general eyed them skeptically. Both wore worn out cloaks that covered most of their body, including their faces. Their clothes were dirty and they seemed to have no luggage….and, he noted, no weapons.

At least none that were visible.

The two figures said nothing, but only stood in front of them.

"Who might you two be?" Joo-Doh asked sternly, breaking the silence.

Neither cloaked figure replied, but turned to look at each other.

"We don't want any trouble. State your names comrades," the general said, louder this time and more authoritatively. "What is your purpose out here?"

"Well...that's a relief," one of the figures said, slowly turning to look back at the general, his face still hidden. "We don't want any trouble either, sir...do we, brother?"

That sinking feeling came back to Hak at the sound of the man's voice. It sounded familiar, which could only mean that these figures were werewolves.

"I assure you we don't, kind sir," came the others deeper voice. "We are just passing by, same as you."

Hak's eyes moved from Joo-Doh to the cloaked werewolves. What were these two really doing here? His people were banned from coming near this area out of safety reasons, as well for the sake of the mission.

Were these two, the same as Tae-Woo and Han-Dae? Were they were just curious about the mission?

"The question is, where are you all heading?" the first figure questioned, his head angled towards the carriage behind the general. "It's not everyday we see such a fine looking carriage round these parts..."

"We're escorting some goods to a neighboring village," Joo-Doh answered, jaw set tight.

"Lucky village," the first figure hummed, before taking a few steps forward. "Mind sparing some food for two weary travelers?"

"Unfortunately, we only have enough supplies for ourselves and are lacking as it is, in terms of food," Joo-Doh replied. "Now if that's all, then we'll see you on your way."

Pausing in his steps, the cloaked figure gave off a small chuckle. "My, my. Such finely-dressed soldiers from the capital can't even spare a few scraps of bread? What has this world come to?"

"I won't ask again, comrade," General Joo-Doh warned, tightening his hold on his horse's reins. "Move aside and let us part."

The small window of the front of the carriage slid open the slightest bit, revealing a curious-looking emperor. His view was obstructed by Kija's silver head.

"Kija," the emperor called out softly, just to catch the knight's attention. "Why have we stopped? Is there a problem?"

Kija forced himself to turn his gaze away from the scene in front of him and turned slightly towards the window, so that the two strangers wouldn't notice. "Everything's quite alright your majesty," he reassured. "Just a pair of travelers, nothing serious."

The emperor remained silent, catching the tenseness of the knight's body. Squinting passed the silver-haired man, the emperor caught a glimpse of one of the travelers and Joo-Doh's defensive stance.

"Father? What's going on?" the princess voiced from inside the carriage.

"Please, if you will your majesty," Kija whispered. "It would be in our best interest to keep your being here a secret."

The ruler eyes widened in understanding and gave a quick nod, before turning to his daughter. "It's alright Yona, but let's not interfere," he said with a calm smile, closing the window silently. He trusted his knights. He did.

"Comrades?" the deep voiced, figure repeated. "Is that what you'd call us? Does that really fit our relationship towards each other, given this treatment?"

"I don't wish to fight you," Joo-Doh said, an edge coming through his voice.

The first figure let out a squeak of laughter, startling Min-soo from the sudden outburst in the tense atmosphere. "Is that it then? You plan to 'chop off our heads' if we don't obey? Now now captain, is that really necessary over a carriage of 'goods'?"

Walking closer, the cloaked figure tilted his head back to his companion. "I do believe our friends here are holding out on us! What's say we take a look at what's  _really_  inside?"

"If ya knew what's good fer ya, ya wouldn't take another step closer filth," Katsu growled from his position, reaching for his weapon to punctuate the threat.

The cloaked man turned back to stare curiously at the knight. "Oh dear, did I overstep myself?"

"Ya open ya big mouth one more time and see if I answer ya!"

"Katsu," Kija warned under his breath.

The threatened man's attention directed itself to Kija. "And what would you be? Another fearsome warrior?" His shoulders lifted with silent laughter. "You're not much are you? I suppose then that there can't be _that_  much in that carriage if you're all the emperor send to protect it."

The second figure turned to stare at Hak. "You..you look familiar. Have we met before?"

Hak's heart stilled at being called out. He didn't recognize this one's deep voice, but even so, it was possible they'd met before.

"No, I don't think so," Hak replied in a control voice.

If they were his kind, then he didn't have to worry about them ratting him out...unless…

"No?" the deep-voiced stranger asked. "I think I know you..."

"It's possible we may have crossed paths a few days ago," Hak said, feeling the eyes of his teammates on him. "I had been traveling on my own at that time."

"Well, well, well.." the first figure sang, capturing everyone's attention. "It would seem that we have a liar in our mists. Captain!" he called out, twirling to salute Joo-Doh. "Shall I give the order to attack?"

"Luckily, Joo-Doh didn't seem to take the two stranger's words very seriously. "If the two of you don't get out of the way, I will take it as treason to the Capital!"

The smaller bandit's eyes narrowed at the threat, understanding that the game was coming to an end.

Hak didn't trust the look the bandit had in his eyes, he was pretty sure the general felt the same way, if the way he was gripping his sword was any consolation. Why were they doing this?

"Well, we wouldn't want  _that..._ now would we?"

"Actually.." came the deeper voiced man. "I wouldn't mind."

Before he new what was happening, Kija let out a warning cry as the taller bandit swiftly took out his rusty dagger and lunged at the scarred general, effectively knocking him off his now shaken horse.

The two men fell to the floor and Joo-Doh wrestled to keep the dirty blade away from his neck.

Katsu charged straight at the smaller enemy, having jumped off his horse, all intent of killing the smart-mouthed brat.

Hak was about to intervene as well, thinking he could find a way to get the two out of here somehow, when Kija blocked his way with his outstretched arm.

"No! There's only two. The general and Katsu can handle it. We must not move away from the carriage." Turning to look down at the clearly shaken servant-boy, Kija said, "Min-soo, go and attend to the emperor and princess. Keep them calm, you're not needed here."

Despite the nervous body language, the small boy nodded determinedly and quickly leaped off his seat to enter the carriage.

Gritting his teeth, Hak mentally battled with himself. What was he supposed to do?

Glaring back at the fight scene, he watched with confusion at how weak the two bandits seemed to be. If they were really his kind, why didn't they change? They'd easily get decapitated like this.

But, maybe there was a chance that he was wrong? After all, the two were only using weapons.

As expected of a fight between two skilled knights and two poor bandits, it ended fast. Katsu had quickly made work of the smaller man, holding him face down on the ground, with his hands behind his back.

For a big mouth the bandit hadn't put up much of a fight at all and wasn't even able to get in a single punch. Hak was surprised that Katsu hadn't done more damage though. He merely received a few punches and was left with a bloody nose from what he could tell from the blood seeping onto the ground.

Joo-Doh was eventually able to overpower his attacker and dis-guarded the dagger and pulled out his own sword, easily striking the sharp end to the man's neck, forcing him to stop his movements.

Using his sleeve to wipe off the dirt from the ground on his cheek, Joo-Doh glared threateningly at the man in front of him.

"How dare you attack knights from the capital!" he spat, his breathing spiked up. "Are you not aware of the punishments?"

His attacker's lips quipped upwards, his eyes hidden, somehow managing to keep his hood on during the fight. "Death, isn't it?"

Katsu snarled at the taunting tone. "Let's see how smart ya are once I've taken ya head from ya body!"

"Enough," Joo-Doh ordered, irritated that this had to happen with the two royals so close by. "The emperor will decide what will become of you two. Till then, you are our prisoners."

"He is no king of mine," the large man coldly said. "No worthy king would let so many of his people suffer like we have."

"You don't even know the emperor!" Kija shot. Predictably standing up for his precious royals, Hak blinked.

"Not my fault he thinks too highly of himself to honor me with his presence."

Joo-Doh pushed his sword slightly more forward, causing a trickle of blood to seep out of the man's exposed neck. "You would do well to not insult the emperor in my presence."

A muffled giggle came from the smaller man, still pressed into the ground. Scraping his head to the side, he managed to get out a breathless response. "It seems that we've resorted to talking politics now, have we?"

Katsu instantly shoved him harder and tightened the grip around the bandits hands. "Hope ya enjoyed those jokes brat, it'll be ya last," he snickered.

Ironically his hostage laughed along with him, before licking at the blood smeared on his face. A pleased sound erupting from his lips.

"Ya one messed up brat," Katsu grimaced.

"Oh believe me," the smaller man chuckled. "You don't know the half of it."

His next word was short, but strong, almost like the bandit was waiting to say it.

"Niogi..."

Hak's eyes widened at the name. He knew it. He knew who they were!

Before the other knights could make out the meaning of the name, the older man, 'Niogi' smirked, showing off his sharp fangs that seemed to grow rapidly larger. And that wasn't the only thing that started to change.

Werewolf.

That was what somebody screamed, but Hak wasn't sure who. His eyes were strained on the two men, morphing into their inner beasts.

Joo-Doh urgently slashed at the growing werewolf, but missed when it ducked and leaped backwards, hands outstretched as the claws grew out from his once blunt nails.

"The hell!?" Katsu yelled when he saw the now half-formed werewolf charge at the older man.

"Nah-uh-ah," the bandit still held down singed, catching Katsu's attention instantly. "Your fight is with me." Just like his brother, the smaller bandit seemed to grow, the claws coming out from his binded hands, resulting in Katsu quickly scrambling off him and reaching for his weapon on his back.

Shooting up from his spot, the hood fell from the werewolves head, revealing wolf ears, yellow eyes, and fangs framed by a crazed smile. The blood from his nose seemed to add to the graphic image, staining onto his fangs.

"Let the hunt begin~" he sang, before going after Katsu.

"General!" Kija called out, already standing up, but not sure what to do.

"Sir Kija! Sir Hak!" Min-soo screamed from inside the carriage, his head sticking one of the side windows. "Behind us!"

Both men shot their heads to look behind the carriage and Kija paled at what he saw heading towards them. Three fully turned werewolves were running rapidly towards them. They were still quite far off, but by the speed they were running, it would only be a matter of time, before they caught up.

Whisking his head to look back and forth between the two werewolves in front and the three on their way, Kija voiced his thoughts. "A trap." His eyes widened at the realization. "It was a trap." Those other three werewolves must have been waiting for some sort of signal.

"Well little good that does us now, doesn't it!" Hak yelled back, his eyes still focused in agony at the incoming wolves. Why was this happening? How did Niogi and his pack find out?

"What I'd like to know was how the enemy knew we were coming!?" Kija yelled, adrenaline pumping into his veins as he prepared himself for the incoming fight.

Hak glared at him for a moment before switching back to the werewolves. "Got something to say Kija?" he defensively asked. Sure he may inform his pack, but he didn't plan this, it wasn't what the mission entailed just yet. And even still, it never should have reached Niogi.

"I'm just saying it's suspicious!" Kija spat, rapidly trying to figure out a plan that would ensure the two royal's safety.

"Is this really the time you want to start accusing people?" Hak hissed.

A violent scream tore itself from Katsu's throat as the younger werewolf sunk his fangs into the knight's arm, tearing the skin.

Hak grimaced at the sound as Kija looked ready to help his teammate, but refused to leave his post.

Joo-Doh was left trying to dodging his werewolf's advances, just barely avoiding the inhuman claws aimed at him.

Just as the werewolf advanced towards him again, the general threw his sword, hoping to impale the throat, but instead slashed threw the wolf's eye as it dodged it, blood slushing out instantly.

When the half werewolf roared in pain and clutched it's eyes, Joo-Doh used that short moment of freedom to yell at Kija. "Retreat! We'll handle this! Take them and get to the border now!"

Kija hesitated for a split second, but took his order in the end. Griping the reins once more, Kija took his seat and opened the front window and looked inside.

The emperor was holding onto his daughter, who looked overly frightened and uncertain. The emperor himself looked worried, but was putting up a brave front, swelling some pride into the young, foreign knight. If his king could be brave, then he would to – he had to.

"We'll get you out of here, I promise!" he reassured, eyes lingering on the princess, before looking at Min-soo who was still watching outside the window, his hands clenching the frame.

"Min-soo, look after things inside, understood?" Kija ordered. They all knew the lengths they would one day have to go to to protect the royal family. Knight or not knight.

Min-soo nudged his head in Kija's directed and gave a nod, his body shaking, but his eyes were sure.

Taking that as cue, Kija swiftly turned around and whipped the reins, before yelling to Hak, "Hak, with me! Keep close to the carriage!"

Hak didn't hesitate at the order and signaled his horse to follow the carriage, full speed. Watching over his shoulder, Hak sweated at the view of the werewolves, now almost in range. They were never going to out run them.

This mission was a lost cause. If he didn't get out of here soon, he would go down with the enemy, one way or another.

His hand instinctively reached for the necklace around his neck, hidden beneath his clothes. It would be easy. So easy for him to get out of here.

Clicking his tongue, Hak whipped the reins and forced his horse to go faster. He couldn't just retreat. Gi-gan would never forgive him. His clan needed this. Nothing would be resolved if the emperor died, not when the fire tribe still had their plan and their weapons.

No. They had a plan. He needed to stick to it.

He just needed to figure out how.

* * *

"Man, I can't believe we lost him."

"You mean  _you_ lost him."

"Aw come on Tae-Woo, You can't really think that I actually wanted this to happen," Han-Dae complained while him and his best friend looked around for their missing elder.

"No," Tae-Woo stated with and exhausted tone. "But that doesn't mean that it's not your fault."

After meeting with Hak the other night, the two werewolves decided to return to their sleeping babysitter. Well, he was meant to be sleeping. But when the pair arrived at his dump spot, the elderly wolf was no where to be seen.

They had left him hidden between some bushes, on one of the higher cliffs. It seemed like a good hiding place. Not many other wolves came this far out, considering it was so close to the wall. They just didn't bargain that the old guy would wake up and wonder off.

"I don't get it, those herbs should have kept him in dreamland for at least a couple more days!" Han-Dae insisted, scratching his blonde head in confusion. "You...don't think there could be a chance that he's sleepwalking..do you?"

Tae-Woo resisted the urge to bang his head against the nearest tree. He  _really_  needed some new friends. Maybe something to look into in the near future? Instead he resolved to giving the speedy werewolf one of his signature, 'are you kidding me' looks.

"I'm not hearing a no?"

"You do realize that when we have to explain how we lost one of the clan's oldest members, I'll be pinning all the blame on you," Tae-Woo gave him, in what he considered a fair warning.

"How's that fair!?"

Tae-Woo shook his head in frustration, before starting to make his way back into the forest. "Come on, we should keep looking."

He didn't walk too far however, when a far off noise rang in his sensitive ears, stopping him in his tracks.

"Wait, do you hear that?" Tae-Woo asked, already making his way towards where the noise was coming from.

"You mean the sound of our shattering friendship?" Han-Dae frowned, eyes following the other werewolf. "Yes, it is quite loud today."

Tae-Woo ignored the jab and pushed back some branches from the edge of the cliff so that he could see below. What he saw made his eyebrows lift in shock.

"Han-Dae! Get over here! Somethings gone wrong."

The seriousness in his friend's voice made Han-Dae obey and he came to stand next to him, searching the area for what Tae-Woo was referring to.

It was a far distance away, but the two boys could still make out the royal carriage, now rushing down the path near the wall.

"Who's that chasing them? It can't be any of ours," Han-Dae asked, eyes finding Hak near the carriage.

"You're right. I don't think they are," Tae-Woo said, his hands fisted as he contemplated what to do.

"We gotta tell Gi-gan!" Han-Dae concluded, turning to start his way back to the clan leader. "She'll know what to do."

"No," Tae-Woo said, halting Han-Dae from his decision.

"Wha-"

"We're too far from home, we'll never make it. By the time we do, it would already be over."

With that said, the brown-haired wolf glanced one more time at the carriage's position and then started to walk back down the path they had came from.

"Wait!" Han-Dae called from behind, easily catching up. "I get what you're saying, but then..what's the plan?"

"We need to help master Hak."

"Yeah, but how are we gonna explain that to the humans with him?"

"We won't need to," Tae-Woo explained, now starting off into a run. "We just need to get in the way of those other werewolves and give master Hak a chance to escape. He can handle it from there."

"Ah," Han-Dae voiced happily, starting to understand where he was coming from. "Sounds like a tough fight!"

"Most likely," Tae-Woo smirked at him. "You with me?"

Couldn't stop me if you tried!"

Nodding appreciatively, Tae-Woo leaped into the air and this time, when he came back down, it was four strong, brown paws that met the ground.

Han-Dae wasn't far behind and the two werewolves speed though the forest.

They could find the elder wolf later, master Hak was a bit more important.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed the new chapter, please let me know what you think ;)


	8. Chapter 7: The mission (Final)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mission comes to an unexpected end.

A high-pitched scream ran threw the carriage as it took a roughly strong turn, forcing the wheels on one side to lift off the ground before almost instantly crashing back down again. Kija’s grip on the reins clenched dangerously tighter at the sound of the princess’s frightened voice. He wished he could go inside and reassure her that everything would be okay. More then anything he wished he could transport both her and his emperor somewhere else, somewhere safe, anywhere that wasn’t this sudden battlefield.

With the order to get the royals to safety, they were able to get a head start away from the three werewolves headed there way, while general Joo-Doh and Katsu kept the other two werewolves distracted. Kija swallowed at the question of just how long the two knights would be able to do just that...if they weren’t dead already.

The silver-haired warrior quickly pushed that thought to the back of his mind and instead focused on managing the horses in front of him.  
The only thing that mattered right now was getting the royals to the border, nothing else.

Another sharp turn and the carriage just barely managed to keep itself on the now narrower, gravel road. The fear-stricken horses kept to the middle of the cliff road, while the carriage dangerously swayed back and forth between the gravel mountain wall and the slope of the crumbly ground. They had made it so far, but it would be harder to keep to the tracks at this speed, but it would be even worse if they descended into the forest. They didn’t know it, but the werewolves did, it was their territory. They had to stick to the trail and somehow make it to the borderline where reinforcements, from the Water Tribe, were waiting for them.

Another unwanted thought sprang to life, when Kija realized that maybe the reason they had managed so far without being attacked was because those other three monsters had first gone in to help their two friends take down Joo-Doh and Katsu. He hoped that wasn’t the case. Two half-formed werewolves were bad enough without the combination of three fully-turned ones.

Another scream brought the knight away from his thoughts when the carriage jumped and crashed down again, harder then before. His eyes caught the sight of Hak reflexively turn to look behind him as he lead the way down the path. A look of urgency and...something else, Kija couldn’t quite place, was written on his face as he returned the eye contact, before whipping his face back to look in front of him and steer his horse.

“How much further to the border!?” Hak’s strong voice yelled out to him.

To be honest, Kija wasn’t exactly sure, Joo-Doh had held the map. Sure he had seen it, but he had never been to that part of the kingdom before. All he knew was that they had to keep to the trail.

“I’m not sure!” the silver knight yelled out as he continued whipping the reins, urging the horses to run faster. “Just keep going!”

“Well, I wasn’t about to stop!” Hak yelled back, sweat coating his forehead. He kept racking his brain for some king of plan, but nothing came up. He felt pathetic. Useless.

The carriage did another strong jolt and Kija desperately tried to keep the horses and carriage from swerving too close to the edge, else they fall into the river lying way below it. Before he could wonder what had caused the impact, the carriage’s window behind Kija’s head opened with a violent Swapp! 

“Sir Kija!” Min-soo urgently called. “O-on the side of the carriage!”

Immediately Kija moved his body as far to the side as possible to see a fully-turned werewolf clutching on to the carriage doors, its nails digging into the fine wood. It gave a threatening snarl towards the knight, once it noticed it’s audience, but it didn’t approach him. Instead the werewolf sunk it’s teeth into the door and with one quick move, ripped the whole door off, the broken pieces of wood scattering into the wind, before falling off the edge of the cliff.

Adrenaline and fear washed over the knight and without a thought, he gave a violent pull on the reins, causing the carriage to again swerve with a mighty force that took the werewolf by surprise, it almost losing it’s hold on the carriage.

Inside, Min-soo took a tray that had fallen to the carriage floor and quickly swung it at the monster’s now loose claws, effectively causing the werewolf to lose it’s grip. With a bellowing howl, it fell from the carriage and off the mountain edge, earning a yell of gratitude from the emperor who was protectively holding his daughter to his chest. The princess had her crimson head tucked into her father’s arms as she cried in fear.

The young servant leaned his head outside the broken doorway, gripping the splintered sides as the wind almost took him out. He peered out behind them, only to see the two other werewolves running towards them.

“Oh no,” Min-soo whispered under his breath at the sight.

“Min-soo!” the emperor desperately called out to his servant from the other corner of the carriage as he tried in vain to keep his daughter from the fear surrounding her. “Min-soo! What is it!?”

The young boy ignored his master’s question and flew to the still open window at the front of the carriage, before calling out to the driver. “Sir Kija! There’s two more!”

Kija whipped the reins again in response. “Hak! Get behind the carriage!” he ordered out to the man in front of him and forced the horses to keep at their fast pace.

Hak gritted his teeth at the order, but pulled on his horse’s reins and steered it to get as close to the mountain wall as possible, allowing the carriage to just manage to pass them. As soon as Hak was in position behind the carriage, he looked over his shoulder to see the two werewolves chasing after them.

‘What do they want?’ Hak spat his his mind. ‘How did they know that they would be here?’

Another howl and one of the werewolves leaped over Hak’s head and landed onto the carriage roof with little effort. Hak swore under his breath and was about to yell out a warning to Kija when the last werewolf overtook him, turned to face the knight and before Hak could blink, said monster charged at him head on and shred off a piece of flesh from the horse’s side.

The horse let out a pain-filled sound at the feeling of sharp fangs ripping into it’s side.  
Hak heard a cry of his name, from whom he suspected to be Min-soo, as he and his horse crashed to the ground.

The werewolf leaped back from the hurt animal and growled as it watched Hak untangle himself from it. 

When Hak was back on his feet, breath coming out is short gasps, he gripped his fallen weapon and pointed it towards the werewolf, while trying to ignore the sounds of fear his horse gave off behind him. 

The werewolf continued to growl menacingly, but made no move to attack, seeming to be analyzing him. 

Trying to get his breathing under control, Hak managed a quick glance in the direction of where the carriage had been going, but he couldn’t see it anymore. What was he meant to do know?

After what felt like minutes, Hak’s body tensed as he watched the werewolf start to shape shift back into his human form. The thick coat of bark-colored hair began sinking into the wolf’s skin. Claws shrunk to broken and chipped finger nails and it’s body seemed to stretch until it formed itself into that of a tall and grimly man. The only feature that stayed the same were the cold, dark eyes staring back at him.

Hak gripped his weapon tighter. He’d seen this man before, though he didn’t know him, it didn’t mean he didn’t know who he was. He was no friend of the pack.

“Tell me that what I am seeing is false..” the werewolf said in a scratchy voice. “Tell me that you are not Mandok’s pup.”

“Hak’s lips twitched into a snarl in response. He was not of their pack, he could not know of their plan. “This is none of your business outsider,” he managed to get out between shaky breaths.

“Oh, I’m the outsider?” the werewolf contoured, his body relaxed in almost a bored state. “Strange, I don’t remember it being me that had been traveling with the humans?”

“How did you know that they would be here?”

“Avoiding the question, are we?” the werewolf frowned as he took a step closer, causing Hak to let out his own growl. It didn’t seem as threatening coming from a human’s throat, but the warning was still clear. The werewolf’s eyebrows raised at that. Taking a moment to run his eyes along the frame of Hak’s body, the werewolf blinked in confusion. “Why is it that I cannot sense you? 

Hak gave no response. 

Tilting his head, the werewolf thoughtfully asked, “Why were you with humans, boy?”

“Do you actually care?” Hak spat.

The werewolf seemed to smile at the question, before his eyes began to glow. “I suppose not.” As soon as the words left his blood-stained lips, the werewolf morphed once more into his wolf form. “If you refuse to answer, then I’m afraid we must put an end to this little chat.”

Hak instantly went to grab the necklace around his neck and ripped it off so he could compete with another of his kind, but he never got the chance to turn. 

The werewolf charged at the young knight and with a great strength, pushed Hak over the edge of the mountain. A rush of adrenaline swept through Hak and his now formed fangs lashed out and latched onto the older werewolf’s shoulder, pulling him with him.

The elder howled in anger and pain, before breaking free of the younger wolf’s grasp, but it was too late. They were already falling. Hak’s hands tried to grab onto the rocks to catch himself, but it only crumbled off as well, causing him to fall into the swirling river below him.

Before long his body was met with the icy feel of the furiously moving water and Hak quickly swam until his head broke free into the air once more, huffing in many greedy breaths of it.

Looking up, he tried to find the older werewolf, but he saw nothing except the river around him. 

Cursing silently, Hak shook his head, while trying to keep his head above the angry river. This was going to cause problems.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

‘SIR HAK!” Min-soo screamed as he watched the newbie knight and his horse crash to the ground. But it was pointless. Before long, with the pace the horses were running, they lost sight of Hak and the werewolf who took him down. The young boy attempted a few more urgent calls, but the strong wind overpowered them. Hak was down too. Struggling to keep his rapid breathing under control, Min-soo forced his body away from the shredded side of the carriage and completely inside.

Looking over to where the emperor still held the crying princess, Min-soo felt a feeling of helplessness. They were still so far from the border and already three of their knights had been taken down, including their general.

Fisting his hands Min-soo, glanced back to the newly formed opening. All he could see was the mountain edge and the grayish clouds slowly overtaking the skies. How had such a peaceful day gone so badly? His eyes shut tightly, trying to calm his rising nerves. 

“Min-soo.”

Jerking his head forward, Min-soo was met with a look he had never seen on his emperor’s face before, but he felt some comfort for it. Reassurance. A shaky nod was his reply. He wasn’t sure about the other two, but he could only hope that Hak had the same luck when he was first confronted by werewolves. He hoped they all did.

Walking over to the two crouching royals, Min-soo place a gentle hand on the princess’s shoulder, momentarily halting her sobs. Yona only slightly moved her face away from her father’s chest to peek at her personal servant, who in return gave her a smile. His face was pale and his forehead sweaty, but his smile didn’t falter. 

The princess only tried in vain to blink away more tears as she stared at the boy. ‘Who would smile at a time like this?’

“You’re alright Yona,” her father suddenly voiced softly, but loud enough to be heard over the noisy crashing and swerving of the carriage wheels. Yona instantly looked up at her father, who had a strange look in his eyes. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

“F..father..I-” the princess stuttered, before a blistering howl sounded from on top of the carriage. All three passengers shot their eyes up at the roof, the princess tightening her tiny fingers into her father’s robes, more tears filling her eyes. 

“It’s on the roof..” Yona whimpered, her breathing quickening along to the sound of claws against the wood above them. 

Min-soo practically flew over to the window at the front of the carriage. “Sir Kija! There’s one more! O-on the roof!” he warned as loud as he could to reach the driver.

Outside the carriage walls, Kija grit his teeth as he tried to see over the roof of the carriage, but was left unsuccessful from his seat. What had happened to Hak? He supposed it was almost impossible to hold off one werewolf, let alone two. Racking his brain, the silver knight took a moment to calm himself, before yelling out to Min-soo. “Min-soo! I need you to climb out of the carriage and get to the front!”

“What!?” the princess cried at the command. The emperor tensed around her.

“Min-soo now!” Kija yelled from outside.

“Sir Kija..” Min-soo whispered uncertain for only a moment before shaking his head and started making his way over to the splintered opening.

“Min-soo wait!” Yona called out and pushed away from her father to grab onto the servant’s sleeve. “D-don’t go!” The young servant turned to look at his mistress and emperor, his hand already clutching the spiky side of the opening. 

“Be careful,” the emperor said, earning a horrified look from his daughter. 

Min-soo nodded once more before gently prying off the princess’s grip on his sleeve and began climbing outside the splintered frame of the carriage opening. 

He heard the princess cry in defeat as the emperor pulled her back into his arms, away from the opening.

Once he was outside, the wind almost blew him off, the only thing preventing it was his vice-like grip on the roof’s frame. He tried to not think about falling off or having the werewolf spot his hanging body as he moved himself along the edges, towards the front. His arms shook with the strain of keeping him from falling. He was not trained for this, but he refused to give into that pain.

Another sharp turn and the poor boy almost lost his hold, his legs swerving along with the carriage, dangling helplessly as he bit his lip hard in an attempt to not scream or freak out.  
Once the carriage was moving straight again, Min-soo continued his climb, before finally reaching the corner.

Deciding not to think about it, so he wouldn’t lose his nerve, Min-soo pushed his feet up against the carriage wall and jumped against it, towards the front seat. His feet only brushed the side of the seat and the wind forced his body back, resulting in almost falling over the edge of the cliff, if it wasn’t for the quick hand that caught him.

“Sir Kija!” Min-soo breathed out in relief when he felt the silver knight grab his wrist and pull him onto the seat.

“I’ve got you!” Kija reassured when Min-soo was seated safely on the carriage. Without missing a beat, the knight shoved the reins into the panting boys hands. “Handle the horses!”

Min-soo obediently gripped the ropes and steadied himself from the strong pull they gave from the horse’s side. “What will you be doing!?” 

“My job!” came the wind-swept reply. Min-soo turned to see that the knight had began to climb onto the roof, before hastily turning his attention back to his own job. ‘Please let this work out!’

Kija leaped onto the roof with ease, his armor protecting him against the harsh wind, while his hair was pushed away from his face. A low growl sounded and the knight’s eyes fell on the urban-colored werewolf, it’s fangs bared as it sized up it’s prey.

Kija didn’t allow himself to show any fear. His body was battle ready, but not tense. His eyes locked on nothing but the monster. It was big, but not nearly as big as the werewolf that had stopped them on the road, along with it’s smaller partner.

Kija’s eyebrows furrowed at that. Did they send their stronger fighter to attack the general? How did they know who would be split up from who? Or did they not care who took on who?

The werewolf made a dark sound before lashing out at it’s enemy, but instead of it’s teeth meeting flesh, it was met with metal. The wolf’s eyes moved from the metal-clad arms, blocking the knight’s throat, to the his eyes. A split second later, Kija threw his free arm at the understand of the werewolf, his strong fingers drawn tightly together to strike the furry skin. 

The force of the blow pushed the beast back, only for it to charge once more, swiping it’s own claws at the knight. 

Kija dodged the slash and attempted a low kick, only for it to be caught by the werewolf’s fangs, who plunged into the armor, catching some of the skin too.

A strangled cry left Kija’s lips at the sudden pain. Before the wolf could sink it’s teeth deeper, the knight pushed forward and aimed his hands at the werewolf’s face, earning a yelp from the contact and a release on his sore leg.

Ignoring the pain, Kija made to leap at the werewolf when the carriage jerked and he stumbled backwards. The werewolf, seeing an opening, charged again at the knight and pushed him, only for Kija to grab onto the fur behind it’s ears to steady himself, while his other hand landed multiple blows to it’s chest.

The beast growled in anger and pushed backwards to stand on it’s hind legs, teeth lashing out for contact, to get out of the steel hold. Kija threw his legs around the belly of the beast and continued his hits to it’s stomach, speed increasing. However Kija’s body weight was not enough to push down the monster and with a snarl, the werewolf came back down on all fours, trapping Kija underneath him. 

The force of being pushed down caused Kija to knock his head hard onto the roof and dizziness came over him, before being brought back by another snarl and his arms instinctively moved to block his face and throat just in time for the werewolf to snap at his face. A loud clang came when it’s teeth met with the metal bindings once more.  
A crippling pain made it’s way into the silver-knight’s senses when the werewolf slashed it’s claws at his stomach instead, practically shredding his armor. The slashes continued on his stomach, this time breaking flesh as the werewolf tried to bite somewhere else besides the bindings.

Panic spread though the knight and his arms pounded upwards, knocking away the werewolf’s face, before he then managed to lunge himself upwards and lock his metal-laced arms around it’s neck and swing himself onto it’s back. For a brief second, Kija was relieved the werewolf he was fighting was much smaller and skinnier then the first once he saw.

The carriage swerved again and Kija used it to his advantage by quickly pulling his weight to the side, while still holding the beast’s neck. The wind forced the werewolf to go with him and the two rolled towards the side of the carriage, where the edge of the mountain lay below them.

As soon as his body hit the roof again, Kija let go of the werewolf’s neck and moved his leg to kick the werewolf off him and over the carriage edge, with a relieved grunt.

As soon as the werewolf flew over, the knight crumbled flat onto his back, breathing heavy and body shaking from the effort of battle. It was quiet after that, minus his heavy breathing and the sound caused by the carriage and wind. A strangled whine left his lips when his hand made contact with the bleeding wound on his lower stomach. Adrenaline kept the pain from overpowering him, but he could tell that the wound was deep. He could feel the wound on his leg too, but it didn’t feel as bad.

Clutching his stomach, Kija forced himself to stand on his knees, his free hand steadying himself on the shaky roof of the moving carriage. He wasn’t done just yet, they still had to get to the border. It was only a matter of time before those other two werewolves came after them.

Looking behind him, Kija realized, for the first time, that he couldn’t see Hak or the third werewolf anywhere. Dread sprang back to life at the obvious reason behind his fellow knight’s disappearance. “Hak...”

A sudden scream caused the knight’s blood to run cold, Hak completely leaving his thoughts. “PRINCESS!” Kija yelled in alarm as he swung his upper body over the edge of the roof, only to see the werewolf holding itself up, by digging it’s claws into the already scratched up side of the carriage wall, next to the unwanted opening.

The werewolf was growling at the two royals inside the carriage, it’s fangs bared and drooling as it readied itself to jump inside.

“No...NO!” Kija screamed. “MIN-SOO! TURN!”

At the front of the carriage, Min-soo turned around in alarm at the sudden order and his eyes widened at the sight of the hanging werewolf. With a sudden speed, the servant boy clumsily pulled the reins forcibly to the side, causing the carriage to swerve strongly, just as the werewolf jumped. Kija lost his balance as the carriage swerved and he was jerked backwards, almost flying into the mountain wall behind him, before catching the edge of the carriage, trying to pull himself up again.

The werewolf had barely made it’s way into the carriage before being forced back by the swerve. It lunged it’s teeth at the duo inside, just sinking them into the cloth of the princess’s dress, earning a scream from both royals. The weight of the wolf forced the princess away from her father, only for him to grab her small hand, before she and the wolf flew off the edge, but both bodies hung dangerously outside the carriage. 

“FATHER!” Yona cried in fear as the werewolf still hung onto her, it’s back paws trying to land, but slipping from the crumbling mountain ground below them as the carriage continued to run. It continued to try and find a better grip as the dress’s material began to rip. One of it’s claws scrapped against the flesh of one of the princess’s legs underneath the gown and the girl screamed in fright and pain even louder.

“YONA! HOLD ON!” the emperor desperately cried back, as he struggled to pull her back inside. 

Another jerk of the carriage and, as if in slow motion, the princess’s hand slipped from her father’s grip and the emperor was forced back. Tears flew from her eyes as she and the werewolf were forced backwards, over the edge of the mountain. She saw her father’s mouth form her name, but no sound came out. She couldn’t hear anything. A look of anguish was written over her father’s face as they were separated further apart from one another. 

The last thing she saw was the crimson colour of her hair as it whipped itself in front of her face from the force of the fall, before her body was enveloped in the ice-y cold waters below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!  
> I managed to finish another chapter. 
> 
> NOTE: So that it doesn’t confuse anyone, the metal bindings around Kija’s arms are a much stronger metal then the metal used for their armor. His weapons obviously come from his home country, that’s why they didn’t tear like his armor did when the werewolf bit into them.
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	9. Chapter 8: So much for the plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yona discovers Hak's secret.

**Chapter 8**

 

Hak coughed out water ass soon as he got to the bank of the river. His throat sounded hoarse and he tried to clear it a few times to get rid of the scratchy feeling. The current had been tough, it didn’t help that the weather had started to turn bad. He guessed the extremely hot weather earlier and the upcoming clouds had been a sign.

It had started to drizzle a while back, but the young werewolf was pretty sure it would turn to a full out rain storm in no time.

Another watery cough erupted from his throat as he leaned his body against the muddy ground, his arms keeping his upper half from collapsing. Breathing in the cold, but fresh air, Hak finally pushed himself up to a sitting position, before combing his wet, dark fringe away from his forehead. His blurry eyes drifted to his other hand that was still clutching the necklace. It was a wonder how he had held on to it out there. He placed it inside his robes, to keep it safe. He was sure Gi-gan would want it back. Shaking away some of the droplets of water in his hair, Hak let out a low sigh. How was he going to explain this to Gi-gan? Was it too late? Had the others even managed to escape the attack?

He sincerely doubted it.

‘Great, just great,’ Hak thought in dismay. How had those other werewolves even heard of the emperor’s escort? There was no way it had just been a coincidence that they had run into Niogi and his pack. It felt like they had been waiting for them.

He resisted the urge to punch the nearest tree, it might calm his growing temper, but it wouldn’t help much else. Gi-gan’s plan had failed and he would have to be the one to take responsibility. _He_ had failed his mission.

One last sigh and Hak decided that it was time to get up and head back to his pack. He’d have to tell them the news sooner or later.

With an easy hop, the werewolf was back on his feet. Luckily his body wasn’t hurt, thanks to having his powers back. It would have been so much worse if he had fallen in that river as a human. He didn’t even want to think about it. He had removed the chest plate of armor and the boots while in the river, it being uncomfortable to swim with. Now all he had was his blue undershirt, robes and pants. Not that he really needed them to stay warm.

Just to be safe, Hak sniffed the air for any signs of that werewolf who had fallen into the river with him. While managing to swim to the bank, Hak had still not seen any sign of him. No sent was picked up that could be defined as the enemy, only the forest odor filled his nostrils.

Deeming it safe to leave, Hak turned to head in the direction he knew his pack was situated in, when a glimpse of crimson caught his eye.

Moving closer to the out of place colour, Hak realized that it belong to someone’s hair and not just any one’s hair. There, laying unconscious on a few large rocks that sat out a bit further in the river, was none other then the.. “Princess...” Hak whispered in shock. No response came from the girl, but with his sharp eyes, Hak could tell she was still breathing, if maybe a bit faintly.

For whatever reason, Hak started his way back into the shallow part of the river, getting closer to where the sleeping princess lay. The water only came up to his knees when he reached her. How had he not picked up her scent? Granted he never got the chance to pick it up before, having lost his over-powered senses whenever he was around her – but still. He should have sensed _something._

Reaching out to pick up a very cold and wet arm, Hak brought it up to his nose and sniffed. Nothing. He smelled nothing. Confusion took over the werewolf. Was it an after effect of the necklace? No, that couldn’t be it, he was able to smell that other werewolf just fine when they had fallen into the river.

A small groan brought Hak back to Earth. His eyes snapped back to the young princess, releasing her arm almost instantly when he realized he was still holding it. He _really_ had to pull himself together. So what if he couldn’t smell her? Maybe all that perfume she always wore had somehow killed off her own scent...if that was even a thing.

Yona remained still after her small noise, but it would seem she would live. That is, if she didn’t die of the cold anyway. ‘How did she even escape the werewolves?’ Hak wondered as he looked at the sorry state she was in. He couldn’t see any flesh wound, maybe a few forming bruises. He couldn’t be sure if she had broken any bones. Also, if she was here, where were the others? Looking around, Hak couldn’t see any carriage. Nobody else was here, but there was no way that Kija would send her off on her own. He was sure that the emperor and Min-soo would be the same.

He guessed that that was evidence enough that the others hadn’t survived the attack. Taking another glance at the princess, Hak was annoyed to find himself contemplating what to do with her. He was meant to leave her here to die! Why was he even thinking about it!?

The werewolf turned away and took one step back to the shore when, another, softer groan left the princess’s lips, forcing him to a halt. Hak mentally swore at his own feet for stopping and at the feeling of guilt piling up inside him. She was a human. A _human._ And not _just_ a human, but the princess of the enemy kingdom! He should be sadistically laughing right now, shouldn’t he?

A loud, agitated sigh left his lips, almost forming a growl. Hak’s shoulders slumped in defeat, before angrily turning back towards the almost-lifeless girl and gathering her tiny, soaked figure in his arms.

When she was lifted out of the water, Hak caught scent the of blood, on one of her legs. Looking down at it, he realized that the bottom of her dress was also torn. So many questions filled up in his mind, but now he was definitely sure that they had been taken down. The memory of that one werewolf jumping onto the carriage roof flashed through his mind. That had to be it.

Why did he feel guilty? Was it because he had been part of the protection team? Had he subconsciously taken his mission seriously?

Adjusting her in his arms, Hak started to make his way back to the shore, the water splashing harshly with his angry steps. It didn’t matter. He would just help her dry off so that she wouldn’t die of monomania, only to clear his stupid, priority-confused conscious. Then he would leave her to fend for herself in the woods. If she was lucky, she could find her way back to the trail. It would be her own bad luck if she was found by another werewolf. It wasn’t his problem. In fact, she was already damn lucky that he wasn’t putting her out of her misery right now!

Why wasn’t he killing her? Hak quickly shook that creepy thought from his mind. She was just lucky that he was a nice guy.

“A little too nice sometimes,” Hak grumbled to himself.

Yona didn’t make another sound after that. If it wasn’t for her shallow breathing, Hak wouldn’t have been surprised if she was faking it all, just to be carried. It seemed like something she would do. Walking further into the forest, Hak made a quick glance up at the sky. It was getting dark and it was still drizzling. He supposed it could have been worse.

Eventually coming to a stop, when they were a good distance away from the river, Hak gently placed her down against a tree. She still offered no resistance. He then moved to gather some twigs and made a fire. The vast amount of trees above them, shielded the fire from the falling drops of water, but some still managed to escape.

Once the fire was burning a descent flame, Hak took the time to actually look at the girl next to him.

She was much paler than usual, most likely due to the cold and water. Her soaked hair had turned much darker than normal too, thanks to the river. At least her skin seemed to be dry now, although her clothes were still completely soaked. Her body was beginning to shiver, maybe she was starting to wake up?

Another sigh left the werewolf’s lips as he watched the princess shudder against the cold weather, despite the crackling fire close by. He shrugged off his blue robes and placed them around her shoulders. It wasn’t all kindness, mind you. The robes _were_ from her castle anyway, so he was just returning them. Luckily the robes were warm and dry, thanks to his strong body heat. Her shudders seemed to decrease as the warmth from his robes surrounded her. She was so small that the robe actually seemed more like a big blanket.

Slowly, Hak picked up the hem of her torn dress, wanting to inspect the wound on her leg. What he saw were five, vivid claw marks engraved in the pale flesh of the skin, just below her knee. The river had washed away most of the blood, but some still oozed out of the ugly wounds. It was probably better that she was sleeping right now, her wound would no doubt be painful and he didn’t think she had much experience with pain. It didn’t look that deep though, it might just leave a scar.

She was lucky, or as lucky as she could be in this situation.

Letting the dress fall back to cover the wound, Hak turned away from the sleeping beauty and settled his eyes back onto the fire. Once again he wondered why he was doing this.

His conscious better love him after this.

* * *

 

 

Two werewolves ran through the woods with amazing speed, the one slightly ahead of the other. Their steps made loud noises as they continued their search for their mentor, they weren’t exactly trying to be quiet. But besides that, the forest was silent. If they hadn’t known any better, it would have seemed like a peaceful night. But they _did_ know better, just not enough to understand.

Suddenly the werewolf trailing behind came to a stop, his furry chest heaving from all the running and recent fighting. The night almost hid his dark form, but the brown and white of his eyes prevented it.

The other werewolf stopped a few feet ahead of his friend, when he heard him stop. His own form stood out, almost shockingly, thanks to it’s blonde-like colour.

‘What’s wrong Tae-Woo?’ Han-Dae asked telepathically. His own breathing wasn’t normal either, but it was much better compared to the other. ‘Did you hear something?’

Tae-Woo closed his eyes as he tried to catch his breath, his clawed paws digging into the ground in impatience. ‘No...nothing.’ Another breath and the dark werewolf started to morph back into his half human form. Once he was back to his normal form, Tae-Woo sighed in defeat and collapsed to the ground. They had been searching for master Hak ever since they saw the outcasts ambushing the royal carriage. It had lasted the whole day and they still hadn’t found him.

They did, however, find Niogi and his midget of a friend, Tomo, who had been in the act of killing off two of the humans. It seemed that the carriage had escaped though, but once the two, young werewolves were spotted by the outcasts, they were unable to leave without a fight.

Niogi and Tomo seemed to had shifted their advances onto them instead. It resulted in a very long, hard battle between the four werewolves. Tomo wasn’t a huge threat, but the same couldn’t be said about Niogi. He used to be one of the strongest wolves in their tribe. Tae-Woo had looked up to him for a long time, before he had decided to leave the pack, along with a few others. What they had been doing out there, he wasn’t sure, but it wasn’t his main concern at the moment.

They had managed to lose the traitors a while back in in the forest, but it had taken a long time and their bodies were sore from the fight. Yes, they had a better healing system then humans, but bad wounds still took time to properly heal. Hopefully the outcasts were in no better shape.

A _**thump**_ next to him, alerted Tae-Woo that his friend had seated himself next to him, also having shifted back to a human state.

“You alright?” Han-Dae asked, out loud this time, as he looked at his fed up friend.

A moment passed, before Tae-Woo nodded in response. “...You?”

“I’m okay, nothing a little sleep can’t fix,” Han-Dae shrugged, but his breathing was still abnormal.

The two boys sat in silence, allowing their senses to scan the area around them. It seemed like a safe place.

“What do we do now?” Han-Dae asked softly, when he grew tired of the silence. He never could stay quiet for long.

Taking that question as his cue, Tae-Woo stood up again with a sigh and stretched his tired limbs in an attempt to wake them up. “We still need to find master Hak...”

“Yeah..hey! What do you think Tomo and those other guys were up to anyway?” Han-Dae said as he rubbed his cheek, from his place on the ground. “I mean, it’s not like any of them to go near the borders?”

“We won’t know until we find master Hak,” Tae-Woo hummed. “Hopefully, he’ll have the answers.” Swaying his body forward, Tae-Woo began his walk and, look over his shoulder called, “Come on, let’s continue looking.”

“Yes sir!” Han-Dae said, springing back on his bare feet, his energy seeming to have been restored. Tae-Woo tried not to resent him for that fact, he was still tired.

They walked fast, but not nothing close to a run yet. The forest was still so quiet, but at least they were back in their own territory again.

“Wonder if those humans made it.”

“You really can’t let us search in silence, can you?”

“Where would the fun be in that?”

“Why do I even bother?” Tae-Woo sighed, just before being tackled to the ground by a seriously heavy mass of man. The young werewolf fell to the ground with a shout of alarm, as sharp fangs snapped in his face. His eyes widening in shock.

“Master Hak!” Han-Dae exclaimed in pure happiness.

The snapping stopped, to Tae-Woo’s obvious relief. He looked up to see master Hak in his half werewolf form, his fangs were grown longer then usual and his wolfish ears and glowing eyes were also on display. Not to mention the extended claws, currently being used to keep the poor boy down.

“Han-Dae? Tae-Woo?” Hak muttered, as he leaned his head away from the boy beneath him, his eyes showing his confusion.

“We really need to stop meeting like this,” Tae-Woo moaned in relief.

Hak removed himself from the younger werewolf and extended his arm to help him up. Tae-Woo gladly accepted the help and was instantly pulled up to his feet once more. As soon as Hak retracted his hand, Han-Dae practically tackled him into a hug.

“We’re so glad you’re okay!”

“I thought I told the two of you to head back to the pack?” Hak accused, with no real heat as he pulled away from the strong hug. It just wasn’t his day...night.

“We were!” Han-Dae said as he let go, a happy smile on his face. “But then we saw some werewolves chasing the carriage.”

“You guys saw that huh?” Hak breathed, scratching behind his head.

“Ah-ha,” Tae-Woo confirmed, arms crossed as he watched his mentor carefully. “We thought you’d like some help.”

Hak dropped his hand and sighed. “Your timing’s a little off today boys. Niogi already did his damage.”

“Yeah, we caught up with him and his sidekick,” Tae-Woo said tiredly. “Only lost them not so long ago.”

“And man, was he in shape,” Han-Dae said, wincing at the memory. Thank goodness for super healing.

Hak grimaced at the statement and eyed both boys for any injuries, but found none, probably having healed by now.

The thought of wounds reminded the dark werewolf of a certain sleeping princess not too far from where they stood. He had been tending to the fire, deciding to wait an extra few minutes before leaving her, when he heard mumbled words. Thinking it could be that werewolf that had fallen into the river with him, Hak ran into the direction of the sound.

He had almost forgotten about her.

“What’s with that look?” Tae-Woo asked, stealing Hak away from his thoughts.

“You aren’t hurt are ya?” Han-Dae asked, pressing an index finger to his chin as he studied his mentor. As a side note, Han-Dae vowed that some day he would grow to be that tall.

“Did he look in pain when he knocked me to the ground?” Tae-Woo breathed in annoyance at the stupid question.

“Looks can be deceiving,” shrugged the blonde, not really catching the meaning behind the rhetorical question.

Hak cleared his throat to get their attention. “Listen, when you ran into Niogi,” he started, looking from werewolf to werewolf. “Did you see what happened to those two knights? We had to leave them behind.”

“Not really,” Tae-Woo hummed, hands on his hips. “When we got there, we interrupted Niogi from tearing those two guys in half. Then they just went after us.”

“Yeah, but they were in pretty bad shape when we got there,” Han-Dae chipped in. “No idea if they would survive those wounds.”

“And if they did, Niogi and his wolves may have gone back to finish them off,” Tae-Woo said, without much sympathy. They were only humans after all.

Hak frowned at the news.

“Uhh..is that a problem?” Han-Dae asked. It was only two knights.

“I guess, I better tell you guys the rest of the story,” Hak sighed. At least he could practice on these guys, before telling it to Gi-gan.

* * *

 

The first thing Yona acknowledged when she woke up was the piercing pain coming from her left ankle. Her hands blindly found their way to press against the burning feeling over her dress, a cry erupting from her cracked lips. Forcing her eyes to open, the princess’s vision was blurred and she had to blink a few times to actually see her surroundings.

When her vision finally returned, she instantly regretted wanting to open her eyes in the first place. It was dark. What time of day it was, was beyond her though, as the trees and clouds above her prevented her from seeing whether the sun had set yet.

Cold drops of rain dripped onto the princess’s cheeks as she looked up at the intimidating view above her. Where was she? What was she doing here so far away from the palace? This didn’t look like the palace garden.

Shifting her weight higher against the tree she was leaning on, brought the princess’s attention back to the very thing that she had woken her up in the first place. Slowly, she pushed her left leg up towards her body and lifted up her dress. It hurt just to move it.

When her ankle came into view, Yona let out a strangled gasp at the sight of dry blood and the raw slashes of shredded skin. A shaky hand traced the first and biggest wound, drawing out more pained gasps and moans from the young girl’s lips.

All at once, the memories of the last few days flooded back into her mind. They had been traveling to the Water tribe. They had been on their way not so long ago, when her carriage had been ambushed by bandits.

“No..n-not bandits..” Yona whispered, her voice quivering from shock, pain and fear all at once. “Werewolves.” That’s right, she remembered perfectly now. Those two bandits on the road, they had been werewolves! Memories of the carriage forcing it’s way down the mountain path, that last werewolf that had clawed its way onto the side of the carriage flashed through her brain.

Her free hand clamped onto her mouth to try and muffle the panicking sobs escaping her throat, while the other remained on her wounded ankle, griping it in a vain attempt to stop the pain. Yona screamed in her mind at the feel of broken skin and blood pressed against her palm.

‘This isn’t happening! This isn’t happening!’ Yona desperately chanted in her head, her tears falling shamelessly down her face. Someone would come for her, she had to believe that. Her darling Soo-Won would find her. She wished she could be with him right now. Did he know what had happened to her? She wasn’t even sure how long she had been out here.

Even if the palace hadn’t been informed yet, her father had seen it first hand. He was probably searching high and low for her right now.

The thought of her father forced the young princess to a pause, her eyes widening in realization. Was her father alright? Had Kija gotten him to safety. Another pang of shame rocked though the crimson haired girl. She hadn’t even thought about Kija or Min-soo. What happened to them? Where they hurt?

Yona let her hand fall from her mouth and gripped the material of her clothes, but felt something different from the of feeling the soft, smooth material of her dress. Looking down, Yona noticed for the first time, that she was covered in a long, blue robe. She recognized the piece of clothing as one of the robes used for the castle’s knight.

Holding the long piece of clothing higher, Yona quickly remembered who it belonged to.

“H-Hak,” Yona stuttered, her eyes watering again in sheer hope and relief. Hak had made it! He had somehow saved her, she was going to be alright! The young princess brought the robe closer to her shivering form and hugged it tightly, as if it had been the very thing that had saved from death.

With a new found hope, Yona looked around her, hoping to see any sign that the newbie knight was there. All she found was the remains of a dead fire, having been burned out by the slow, but steady fall of the forest drizzle.

He wasn’t here. The princess’s breathing speed up at the creeping thought that he had also been killed by the werewolves. For a while, Yona stayed still, only trying to ease her breathing back to normal. She had to remain calm. _Calm._

Hak had to be alive. It wouldn’t make sense that the enemy would kill him and spare her.

Slowly and shaking, the princess struggled to pull herself off the ground. Using the tree behind her as support, Yona rose to a wobbly stand. A pained gasp left her lips, when her shredded ankle accidently made contact with the trunk of the tree. Truthfully, the princess just wanted to wait where the knight had left her, but her newly formed hope screamed at her to find him. She had to find him, if only to prove to herself that she wasn’t alone. To prove that he really was still alive too. Once she did, Hak would look after her and get her back to her father. Back to her home. Back to Soo-Won.

Pushing herself off of the trunk, Yona slowly started making her way thought the forest. She wasn’t sure where she was going or even if she was headed in the right direction, but she _had_ to find him.

The forest was weirdly quiet, only the sound of the raindrops and Yona’s shaky steps could be heard. Each tree she passed, Yona would lean against it with one hand, to force her to keep going, while the other kept the blue robe around her body. She was so cold and her ankle was keeping her from moving too fast. She could walk on it, but it still stung with a type of pain she’d never before experienced, causing more tears to fall from her eyes and join the pour of raindrops above her.

It was still so dark. Yona blindly made her way though the never ending path of trees. The fear of getting lost forever quickly creeping its way into her head, the further she walked.

A gust of wind, halted the girl’s steps, the sound vibrating through the woods. Breathing heavily, Yona turned to look behind her. The path looked so much more different now, she wasn’t sure how to get back to where Hak had left her. Everything looked the same.

Why hadn’t she just stayed in her resting spot? What if Hak had already returned and found her missing? Would he be able to find her now?

With the feeling of helplessness consuming her, Yona hugged herself in an attempt to stay calm, as she leaned her body against the rough bark of a tree. Her chest kept huffing in quiet sobs, her eyes stung with all her crying. The reality of the situation dropped on her. She was going to die here.

Biting her lower lip to try and stop the rising cries in her throat, Yona was about to cuddle into herself on the ground, when she heard the sound of footsteps against the now muddy ground.

Her body froze in fear at the thought of it being a werewolf. Forcing herself to stay quiet and not scream for help, Yona pressed herself against the tree, hoping it would keep her presence hidden. The footsteps were getting closer and she realized that they belonged to more then just one person. Yona allowed more silent tears to fall, squeezing her eyes shut as she mentally said farewell to her most beloved people.

The steps suddenly stopped and a voice, Yona didn’t recognize, sounded not so far away from her hiding spot.

“How much further?” A male voice asked. Yona didn’t recognize it, but then again she didn’t really know most voices of anyone in the capital either.

Some more steps, a few twigs could be heard snapping most likely because of it. “Just a bit more.” Yona’s eyes shot open at the sound of Hak’s voice, only a few meters away. “I made sure to keep her in a hidden area. I’m pretty sure nobody will find her.”

‘He’s talking about me,’ Yona thought, her shoulders slumping in shear relief. Hak was here, she was going to be okay. With shaky hands, the princess pushed them against the tree trunk to force herself up, but tensed still when another voice sighed.

“Man, somebody’s gonna have to carry me back home.”

“Han-Dae, just moments ago you had all the energy in the world!” Tae-Woo snarled as he brushed a clawed hand through his own short hair.

“Yeah, but a guy can only have so much stamina,” the blonde groaned, while he took this chance to lean against a tree. “Besides, who wouldn’t need a break after what we’ve been through today.”

“Only to find out that it wasn’t the sharper end of the stick,” Tae-Woo muttered, his eyes landing back onto his older mentor, earning a moment of silence. “I still can’t believe the plan didn’t work.”

Yona’s eyebrows furrowed at the remark. ‘Plan?’ What were they talking about?

“..What’s done is done.” Came Hak’s gruff voice, forcing both werewolves to grimace. “I’ll take full responsibility when we get back.”

“But it wasn’t your-”

“Tae-Woo,” Hak said, stopping the boy’s attempt at shaking his blame. “It’s fine. You should save your words for when we get back to the pack. Pretty sure Gi-gan will want to know why the two of you are will me.”

Yona’s heart skipped a beat at Hak’s words. ‘Pack?’ Holding her breath, Yona quietly moved her body to peek behind her tree. What she saw however, were not normal humans. The two boys, whose bodies were faced towards her, but their eyes not, had ragged clothes, no shoes and were practically covered head to toe in dirt and a darker colour that Yona could only hope was not blood. But those weren’t they features that had the young princess frozen in fright.

Both boys had clawed hands and feet. The claws that acted as their fingernails also had the remains of that horrid dark colour. She couldn’t get a good look at their faces though, as her vision was blocked off by the taller man’s form. They were werewolves. Why was Hak talking with werewolves? Why was he going to their pack? Yona’s heart raced in fear at all the questions, her manicured nails digging into the bark in an attempt to ground herself as another question popped up. ‘Why is Hak leading them to me?’

“You know we stilled haven’t found that Elder Wook..” Han-Dae whispered, almost nervous to here Tae-Woo’s agrevated sigh.

Hak shook his head at that, turning to face the direction of where he thought the princess still lay.

It was only for a second, but Yona was able to get a glimpse of his face and front, but it wasn’t like how she remembered it. Like the others, the newbie knight also had sharp claws. All the blood left the princess’s face at the sigh and for a moment, she didn’t know what to do. Hak...Hak was one of them.

Before a cry could escape her, Yona clamped her hand over her mouth, keeping her quiet, as her eyes got blurry again. Logic and reason kept flooding her brain, trying to convince her that what she saw wasn’t true. How could it be? Hak had been in the capital. He had been checked by the nurses, surely they would have noticed something odd about him. Her shoulders shook with the force of wanting to sob out loud. She had been alone with him! He had been in their castle, eaten their food, slept in their beds!

Yona could vaguely hear the three wolves talking from behind her, but her swimming thoughts drowned them out. She had to get out of here! Yona’s body stilled at that thought. She did. She had to get out of here, before they found her. Before they killed her. It didn’t matter that just a few days ago, he had seemed like a normal knight. She saw what she saw. With a push of determination, Yona flung herself away from the tree and ran, ignoring the pain from her ankle and the yell of alert she guessed came from one of the younger werewolves, the adrenaline and fear overpowered all of it.

If she wanted to live, she needed to run.

Han-Dae let out a yell of surprise at the sudden swing of crimson that ran from them.

Hak sharply looked back at where he thought his friend was looking, but saw nothing. Sniffing the air, Hak smelt nothing.

“Han-Dae, what is it?” Tae-Woo demanded, having been startled by his friends outburst.

“I don’t know,” Han-Dae frowned, having lost sight of the colour, just as soon as he saw it. “Maybe I’m just tired, but I swore I saw red.”

Hak stiffened, turning to look at the blonde over his shoulder. “Red? As in hair?”

“Uhh..” the werewolf murmured. “Maybe, I only saw it for a sec--”

But Hak didn’t wait to hear the rest, instead running off after the princess.

“--ond..” Han-Dae lamely finished as he watched his mentor run away from them. Looking helplessly at Tae-Woo for an explanation, he asked, “What did I say?”

Folding his arms in what he tried to play off as shear patience, the brunette asked. “Hmm...Who do you think has _reddish_ hair and is in the forest right now?”

An unfortunate minute passed before the blonde’s lips formed an ‘O’ in realization, causing an exhausted groan to pull from his friend. With a role of his eyes, Tae-Woo began to run after Hak, Han-Dae bashfully behind him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 

Yona wasn’t sure how long she had been running, but there was one thing she knew; She was now even more lost then before.

The world had grown dark not so long ago and the young princess was feeling more hopeless the longer she walked. Nothing made sense to her. How was Hak one of them? The werewolves. A shiver, that had nothing to do with the cold, ran through the small girls body. It had only been a few hours ago that she had seen the newbie knight sport claws. The picture of it all still frightened her, how could it not? For the past few days, she had been living in the same castle with one of the very monsters her father had sworn would never enter.

Seems they had been wrong.

One misstep had Yona falling to her knees, thanks to a slippery vine. The drizzle had mercifully stopped a while back, but it still left the ground muddy. Letting out a shaky breath, the princess struggled to bring herself back up onto her feet. She had never gone through anything this physically challenging before. Her legs felt like they were going numb, her ankle still burned, now even more so, because of all the pressure she forced onto it. Her body was slick with sweat, her eyes too dry to give anymore tears and she ached just about everywhere. But that didn’t stop her from forcing her body to keep moving. She _had_ to keep moving. She couldn’t allow herself to just give up and die. She couldn’t put her father through that. No, she needed to find him.

With all the willpower she could muster, Yona ignored the horrible voices in her head, telling her that her father was probably dead too. She couldn’t believe that. She wouldn’t, not until she saw proof of his dead body. Hopefully, there wasn’t any.

Instead she just kept walking, eyes trailing over everything in sight, for any sign of her father and the rest of the men. Not much could be seen however, the night’s shadow hovering over everything.

Another thought came to mind. Why didn’t Hak kill her or any of the other royals at the castle? He had plenty of chances. Or why not kill her and her father once they were outside the wall? He could have also easily joined his fellow werewolves on the ambush.

Yona let out a groan. She was too tired and sore to make sense of anything right now. What did it matter anyway? She wasn’t going to find the answers here. Slumping on the muddy ground, the princess leaned against a large rock, too tired to care how uncomfortable it was. Allowing her heavy breaths to go back to normal, Yona’s eyes slowly slid shut. She needed rest, if she ever hoped of finding her father, else she die from exhaustion.

When she woke up, she would continue walking. She only needed a little bit of sleep.

* * *

 

Instead of feeling happy to be home, like he expected to be, all Hak really felt was dread and disgust. Dread to admit to his pack that he had failed in his mission and disgust in himself for allowing this to happen.

It was early morning now, the sun just starting to rise. Looking around, he saw no other members of his pack. They were most likely still sleeping or maybe some had gone out to hunt for breakfast. None of them expected him to come back today. To be honest, he was almost grateful. He had missed his tribe yes, but he couldn’t face all of them just yet. He wouldn’t go home either, he first needed to see Gi-gan. Once that was done, he’d go to check on his grandfather and brother.

Walking further into the small excuse of a village, Gi-gan’s hut eventually came into view. Taking a deep breath, Hak steeled himself for the conversation to come.

He didn’t even find the princess, who had apparently woken up while he had been talking with Tae-Woo and Han-Dae, only to flee from sight. He hadn’t been searching too long for her, when Tae-Woo had stopped him, saying it didn’t matter anymore.

And he was right. Hak had planned on leaving her to fend for herself anyway. He wasn’t even really sure _why_ he ran after her. What would he have done after he caught her? He couldn’t take her back to her father, who was probably dead already. He couldn’t very well take her back to the pack. She was a human and a human princess at that. And anyway, he shouldn’t have been bothering with her in the first place! Yes, it was best that he let her go off and try to find her way home.

Hak flinched at that last thought. Who was he kidding? There was no way she would make it back home on her own. A while ago she was miles away from the wall and he doubted she was any closer now. He’d be impressed if she hadn’t gotten herself killed yet. He shuddered against his will at the thought and he hated himself for it. Why was he still thinking about her? His guilt should be gone, after having saved her from freezing to death.

‘Get a hold of yourself Hak,’ Hak mentally swore to himself. He shouldn’t feel compassion for the enemy.

A hand on his shoulder forced Hak out of his thoughts and stopping his steps. Looking to his side, he looked down at the confused eyes of Tae-Woo.

“Everything okay?”

Shaking his head, Hak moved to start walking again, the younger wolf’s hand falling from its spot. “Nothing that I can’t deal with.”

“We can come with you to Gi-gan, you know?” Han-Dae offered, standing next to his friend as they watched their mentor head to the acting pack leader’s hut. “We were technically involved too.”

Hak didn’t stop at the offer, but did send the two boys a cocky grin over his shoulder. “It’s fine, quit worrying. I think I can handle Gi-gan on my own.”

Looking forward again, Hak reached out to pull aside the ragged, faded material that hung from the hut’s door frame, acting as its door. Most of the huts in the pack did have doors, but Gi-gan was a free-spirited kind of women. _“The_ _less constricted a house, the more free the stayer,”_ she had told them. He understood in that fact. He could sleep under the stars and feel comfortable (though he wouldn’t lie and say he hated beds). He didn’t know if it was the wolf side talking or if it was just him, but he didn’t really care.

With one more deep breath, Hak stepped inside the hut, letting the rags fall back behind him.

Inside, the hut was dark, the small bit of light peaked through the cracks of rags from the still rising sun. The hut was no bigger than any of the others. In fact, most were the same size. Many would expect a leader’s home to be more recognizable, sizable, but Gi-gan, like his own grandfather, saw no need. Everyone in the pack had the same value as the other. No one got special treatment.

The pack leader, herself sat up and awake in the center of the hut, seated on a makeshift bed. Her back facing the younger wolf. She was working on shaping an arrow, her claws carving the rod of wood into one of their tribe’s trademark weapons. They didn’t have many left of their weapons anymore, most of them being lost in the attack years ago. It wasn’t like they had much use for them anymore anyway. Their wolfish powers were all they really needed, but they still made arrows. Hak presumed it was more out of memory that for the purpose of actually using them. Some of the older ones even had rusty knives, but that was about it.

Not bothering to announce himself, Hak merely stood behind her, in front of her door. She would have sensed him from outside the hut, if not before that.

After a moment of silence and carving, Gi-gan set the now perfectly shaped arrow down beside her on the bed. She didn’t move to look at him, nor did her voice show much emotion when she acknowledged him. “I expected you here earlier.”

“..So I take it you’ve heard then?”

“You honestly thought I wouldn’t?”

Hak frowned at her tone, but didn’t argue. He deserved much more then a pointed remark.

After a few moments, when it seemed she wouldn’t say another word, Hak took a step forward, away from the door. “I failed the pack.”

Gi-gan turned to face him this time. Her face didn’t show any signs of anger, but he’d be a fool to take it as happiness either.

“Don’t be a fool,” Gi-gan sighed, with no real heat. Rising from her seat, the shewolf came to stand in front of the taller werewolf, her eyes full of determination. “You could never have suspected the outcasts to attack like they did. If anything, it’s my fault. I should have been keeping an eye on them.”

Before Hak could say anymore, Gi-gan walked over to a small table near her bed and pored water from an old jug into two wooden-carved mugs. Picking them up, she held out the one to Hak.

“Drink, you must be thirsty,” she ordered lightly when he didn’t reach for the mug.

Sighing in defeat, Hak gratefully took the mug and took a large gulp of it, the cool contents helping to ease his tense form.

Satisfied, Gi-gan drank from her own cup, before setting the mug down on the table once more. “Do you still have the necklace?”

Making sure he drank the last sip of water, Hak placed it next to its twin on the table, before reaching into his robes to fetch the small amulet. Pulling it out, he silently handed it back to the elder wolf, who’s eyes softened at the sight.

Tracing her clawed fingers over its shape, Gi-gan sighed again, this time with more force. “Your grandfathers going to have a lot to say about this,” she muttered.

Hak couldn’t help the grin that formed on his face. It seemed he wasn’t they only one who dreaded admitting that the plan failed. “I think I’m gonna have it worse then you.”

This caused the other werewolf to smirk at him, as she placed the necklace on the table. “I sincerely doubt that.” She then walked back to her bed and sat down, her eyes closing for a moment to accept her defeat. “So...how did you get away?”

Hak’s grin fell at the memory. Folding his arms, the werewolf met the elders eyes. “I was thrown off the mountain edge. One of the outsiders, I don’t know his name, got the better of me before I could shift.”

“What happened to the outsider?”

“I made sure to take him down with me,” he said. “But I don’t know what happened to him afterwards. There was no sign of him at the bank I washed up at.”

Gi-gan nodded at this. “Most likely he survived. Outsider or not, they have our strong blood. He’s probably already scrabbled back to his leader.”

“Probably.”

“And what of the royals?” Gi-gan asked, tilting her head, eyes scanning him. “Did you at least get to see their frilly heads get torn off? I imagine the outcasts had their fun, the bastards.”

“No, actually,” Hak started. “I fell before I saw their fates, but there had been another outsider on their tail. I’m pretty sure he’d done the job.” Hak hesitated at his next sentence. “..But I did find the princess.”

One of Gi-gan’s eyebrow rose at the new information. “I’m surprised they left her body.”

“She was alive,” Hak corrected. “Found her in the river bank. She wasn’t in good shape, but she was breathing.”

Gi-gan stood up as Hak finished his sentence. “Where is she now?” she asked, her voice strict.

“Hak looked confused at her question, but answered, “I left her in the woods a few hours ago. When she woke up, she ran away.”

“ _And?_ ” Gi-gan asked. “You didn’t go after her?”

“I tried-”

“Was the little, human girl too fast for you?” the elder demanded sarcastically.

Hak frowned at the jab. “I couldn’t sense her. I could never sense her actually.”

“Well of cause not,” Gi-gan growled. “The necklace prevents any use of your powers.”

“I didn’t have the damn thing around my neck,” Hak growled back. This seemed to at least get the elder’s attention.

“What?”

Looking at the necklace on the table, Hak shrugged. “I think it’s an after affect of the necklace, but for some reason, it’s only her,” he explained, causing the elder to look confused. “I’m able to sense you and the other wolves, but when I tried to smell her in the river, I couldn’t catch anything. It might be the same for all the humans too.”

Gi-gan didn’t seem to know how to respond to that, also giving the necklace a curious glance. “It’s probably just a small side affect. I’m sure it will fade soon.”

“You think?” Hak repeated skeptically. Wouldn’t it be something if he became the first werewolf with no senses...even elder Wook still had all of his, no matter how dull they had become.

“Don’t worry about it,” Gi-gan insisted. She was sure that the witch wouldn’t have left a gift that would hurt them. Walking over to the table, the pack leader picked up the offending neck piece and held it out to Hak. “What I need you to do now, is find that princess.”

“What for?” Hak asked, not making a move to take the necklace, getting more annoyed at the fact that she didn’t have an answer for his problem and he didn’t exactly want to wear the very thing that started it. “She’s probably dead anyway.”

“And if she isn’t?”

Hak frowned at the response, sighing he mentally reminded himself that arguing with Gi-gan was a bad idea. “I’m pretty sure she saw me shift.”

“You don’t know that.”

He was fairly certain though. Why else would she have run away from him. Instead of saying this though, Hak just asked, “What happens _if_ I find her?”

Gi-gan shoved the necklace into the taller wolf’s hands and pushed past him to reach the door’s cloth, holding it open. Turning back to glare at her fellow pack member, she ordered, “You bring her to me.”

Hak couldn’t help the nervous gulp he made, caused by the look in his leader’s eyes. Luckily for him and his pride – or what was left of it – besides that, he didn’t seem to react. Deciding against further questioning, Hak marched out of her hut. Before he could walk too far from the house, he heard Gi-gan call out to him from behind.

“And Hak, when you see them, tell Tae-Woo and Han-Dae to come see me next!”

* * *

 

When Yona woke up again, she silently rejoiced that she was still alive, not having expected to have woken up at all. At least now she was at least some-what rested and could work on actually getting back to her family.

The chirping of birds could be heard and a warm ray of light shined over her face. Opening her eyes, Yona realized that it was now morning. With a quick check, she sighed in relief when she saw nobody around.

Slowly, the young princess leaned forward to sit up straighter. Her body cracked in protest. Wiping her eyes, she grimaced at the feel of soggy skin, proof of all the tears that had sunken into her cheeks. Lowering her hands to her legs, Yona moved her dress away from her sore ankle. It had begun to swell and it only worsened the already ugly look of the still-new wound. It did feel better now though, almost numb, if she didn’t think about it.

Letting go of the ripped material, Yona forced herself back onto her feet and took a look around again. The forest was much less intimidating when it was sunny. It seemed peaceful. Willing herself to move, Yona slowly pulled herself off the ground and instantly regretted the action. Scratch that last part about her leg being numb. The pain spiked up by eleven when she applied some weight to it.

A pained moan left the princess’s lips, before she quickly bit her bottom lip to stop the sound and scanned the forest around her once more. Once she was sure nothing heard her, Yona relaxed a bit, but kept her voice to herself. She had barely escaped last night, she couldn’t risk getting found by another werewolf. Any adrenaline she had had been used up last night.

Wincing as she limped, Yona reached for a low branch from one of the trees and pulled. It took a few tries, but the branch finally snapped, unfortunately forcing Yona to fall backwards and land hard on her bum. Another panicked look around, before Yona allowed herself a silent cry for her leg that had been scrapped against the hard ground too, as she stabled the tall branch to stand on the ground next to her. Using the branch as leverage, Yona pulled herself back on her feet, but this time, kept her wounded leg’s foot off the ground and used the branch as it’s replacement.

And a few wobbly steps later the princess was on the move again, even if it being much slower.

Although the sun was out, it didn’t make the forest anymore intimidating. Sure she could see much better now, but she still had no idea where she was going and there was still the fact that she was deep in werewolf territory. All though, maybe werewolves slept during the day? Maybe they only attacked at night?

‘No,’ Yona thought as she continued her walk. ‘They attacked us while the sun was still up.’ But maybe that was just a planned attack? After all, it was strange that no werewolf had found her while she had been sleeping.

Shaking her head, Yona forced those thoughts away and instead focused on not tripping again. It was just all too complicated. How was she supposed to understand how werewolves worked? Her father had made sure that she hardly heard the very word _Werewolf._

The forest hardly seemed bothered with the princess’s presence as she tried to find away back to the borderline. She could hear a few birds chirping above her head and a slight breeze that helped her overheated body. But besides those two factors, it felt like the whole place was void of anything else..not that she was going to complain.

Yona didn’t know how long she had been walking when she spotted some smoke above the trees. The smoke couldn’t be coming from anywhere too far away, that she was sure of. Yona didn’t hesitate for one second as she limped more hurriedly towards the source of the smoke. Maybe she was a bit naive for not worrying that it may be some werewolf, but werewolves didn’t make fires, did they? Why would they? They didn’t need to cook their food, they could just eat it raw, right?

A sudden memory of Hak sitting at a table with herself and Soo-Won flashed into the young princess’s mind. She remembered how the knight-no. How the _werewolf_ had stuffed his mouth with rich pastries and cooked meats. He didn’t seem to mind at all that the food he was eating was cooked.

This caused Yona to abruptly stop in her tracks, her breaths coming out in short huffs. Her eyes were still glued to the smoke in the sky. Should she risk it? What if by some miracle, one of her father’s knights were out looking for her and created those fires, hoping that she would take it as a sign? She knew that the chances of that were low, but shouldn’t she at least check it out?

Gripping the branch tighter, Yona started making her way towards the smoke again, but this time her pace was her slower, more aware.

It didn’t take too long before Yona found herself hiding behind a tree, staring at what was definitely not her father’s knights. Instead, she saw a small, measly, little hut. The fire, that provided the smoke, was situated not far from the hut. There didn’t seem to be anything roasting on it though.

Yona tried to see anyone that might have started the fire, but couldn’t see anything. The hut’s entrance was closed though. Maybe somebody was inside?

Moments passed as Yona looked upon the small hut. There were many tools and fabrics (clothes?) scattered around the area. A basket of what she could tell was fruit sat near one of the other trees, closer to the house and the reminder of food made Yona’s stomach ache in longing. Despite knowing that she shouldn’t trust this place, Yona couldn’t help but feel that whoever lived here wasn’t one of the monsters that tried to kill her.

Was it possible that another human had managed to live in this forest? Maybe this part of the forest was taboo to the werewolves? That would explain why she hadn’t seen one in a while.

Biting her bottom lip nervously, Yona hesitantly moved away from her hiding spot behind the tree and slowly started to limp her way towards the hut.

She just had to try.

* * *

 

**I’m sure that I made it incredibly obvious, but can you guess who lives in the hut?**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yona meets a boy who lives in the forest.

 

Yona carefully and slowly made her way towards the small hut. The more she got closer to it, the more she realized just how shabby it actually was, but what else could you expect a hut in the middle of a forbidden forest to look like?

In the back of her mind, Yona kept reminding herself that this was a bad idea and that she should get away from the hut, as quickly as possible, yet despite that, Yona kept on limping towards it. Maybe it was because of how mentally and physically tired the young princess still was or just the possibility of food.

Yona ignored the still burning fire that had lead her here, moving passed it towards the basket full of fruit next to the house. Once she was close enough, Yona only hesitated for a second, before slowly kneeling down, using the branch to balance her. She than reached out to trace one of the apples.

Was it idiotic that she was feeling a sting of guilt? The forest had plenty of apples, she was sure, but these belonged to whoever lived here. Yona mournfully pulled her hand away from the basket and rested it on her bend, clothed knees. ' _Some survivor I am,'_ Yona thought, letting out a pitiful sigh. She knew it was silly, but she didn't know who lived here, what if it was a family? Was she really going to just steal some of their apples, because she was just too lazy to find any herself? What would her father say? No, she would just have to go and pick some later, hopefully she'd find some growing nearby.

It was a shame though, her stomach felt like it would cave in any minute.

"You know this is trespassing, right?"

A chill ran through Yona's body at the voice and she was sure that her heart must have skipped a few beats. The princess turned to face the stranger behind her at such a speed that had Yona wince in pain. The branch that she had been using for balance had slipped from her grasp and had fallen down next to her. This left Yona to fall backwards on her bum and her sore leg on the hard ground. Instead of dwelling on the spreading pain though, Yona focused on the person a few feet away from her.

It was a young man, well Yona guessed he was leaning more towards a  _boy_ than a  _man_. He didn't really look like a werewolf either (but she's been fooled before). Despite living in the forest, he looked well looked after. His clothes, though nothing fancy and a bit worn, were still neat and somehow stylish. His apricot-colored hair was styled with two small, white feathers on the one side and although his hair seemed a bit scruffy, it was in a way better condition than Yona's own. Moving her eyes to the boy's face, Yona noted some lingering baby fat on the cheeks. His face was soft, despite the frown it was holding in Yona's direction.

"You're not even going to defend yourself?" the boy asked in a some-what bored tone. Yona felt like he was more criticizing her than just asking a question.

Sensing no incoming reply, the boy turned to leave. For whatever reason though, that was when Yona found herself asking; "A-are you a w-werewolf?" she shivered at the word. She didn't know why she asked it. It was a bold and incredibly stupid move.

The stranger turned to face her once more, a look of disgust written all over his face. "Do I look like one of those fur-covered pests?"

Yona grimaced at his answer. Not really from fear this time, but more from shock that he would speak that way about the beasts so openly in their territory. The guards at her castle all talked smack about the wolves too, but they were fully armed, skilled fighters. This guy just seemed like a scrawny teenager.

When Yona remained quiet still and only stared back shockingly at the him, the boy let out a sigh, turned his back towards her again and casually started to walk back towards the entrance to his hut.

Yona kept her eyes glued to the boy as he walked. He was right. He didn't seem like a werewolf and his statement surely proved that, but after the whole Hak thing, Yona wasn't sure what signs to look for anymore.

Once the stranger reached the hut's entrance, he paused and said, "Eat as many as you want, I can just pick some more later." With that said, the young boy walked into the hut, leaving Yona alone again.

It took Yona a few moments of staring at the hut, before she realized that the boy wasn't going to come back any time soon. It was strange though. Wasn't he worried that she might try to attack him or steal something precious? If someone had to just pop up at the castle, there was no way the guards would let them roam the landscape and definitely not by themselves. Although, to be fair, Yona knew that she looked anything  _but_  intimidating. Even in her normal state.

The princess's stomach clenched in agony once again and reminded her that there were apples waiting to be eating. Yona's body made the choice of actually eating the apples for her and she turned to grab one of the red globes. Without a second thought, Yona brought the apple to her lips and took a very un-lady-like bite. Most of the time, she would scold herself for such brutish manners, but nobody was here to see her anyway and besides...she was  _starving!_

Three apples later, Yona decided she'd had enough and considering that the boy living here had been kind enough to let her have some, she shouldn't really have too many of them. Pulling one of her sleeves out to cover her palm, Yona used it to wipe her face clean of any apple juice that may have slipped through her lips. She had to admit, she had never had such delicious apples before in her life! Maybe it was just the hunger talking?

Reaching for her branch, Yona used it to help bring herself back up and proceeded to walk over to the hut's entrance. Why, she wasn't sure, but the boy didn't seem to be dangerous and he also didn't seem to care about hurting her. She might be overstaying her welcome, but anything was better than walking through the forest by herself again. Maybe she could even get the boy to help her. She was sure that once he knew who she was, he would do whatever he could to get back home. At least, she hope he would.

When she reached the doorway, Yona didn't immediately walk into the hut. Peeking inside, Yona saw more baskets, all filled with different kinds of herbs and fruits. She even saw, what she guessed were small loafs of bread. They looked delicious! Besides that, the hut was almost empty. There were some bowls and a few books stacked neatly together in a corner and a few more clothing materials folded in another. The boy in question was sitting crossed legged in the center of the room, busy crunching up some herbs into a bowl. He didn't acknowledge the princess's presence, though she was sure that he knew she was there.

It stays like that for a while. The boy working, while Yona watches anxiously.

Why wasn't he talking to her? Wasn't he curious as to why a girl was wondering around this creepy forest by herself? She doubted this was a usual occurrence for him.

Not being able to take it anymore, Yona stretched out one arm to lightly knock on the door frame. The boy only spared her a bored glance, before directing his eyes back to his task. Feeling helpless, Yona swallowed, before voicing, "T-thank you for the apples…?"

This awarded her another glance. "You actually ate those? What if I'd poisoned them?" the boy asked, raising a delicate eyebrow. "Haven't you ever read  _Snow White_?"

"...Huh!?" Yona paled at the boy's words.

"Just a tip," the boy said, as he continued to smash the herbs. "Don't be so quick to trust people, princess. There are a lot of criminals out there."

Yona's hand shakily reached up to cover her mouth in horror. He was right! How could she have been so naive enough to have just eaten something offered to her by a complete stranger! And so many on top of that! So what if he seemed friendly?! She didn't  _know_ him. She could have died! She had had the basic lecture on this subject before when she was little, but she had gotten too used to her servants testing her food before it got to her! On any other day – wait! Yona's eyes widened, before dropping her hand from her mouth and looking bewildered at the boy still minding his own business inside the hut.

"Y-you know who I am?" Yona stuttered out to her embarrassment. "H-how -?"

"Not many people have that unique hair color," he murmured, partly distracted. "I only know of one other women to have that feature and I doubt I'll be seeing her anytime soon."

"Other women?" the princess repeated, confused. "I don't under-"

"Hey, if you're gonna stick around, mind being useful and hand me that bowl of water?" the boy interrupted Yona once again and pointed at a bowl near the entrance.

"Uh..sure," Yona complied, before looking uncertain at her branch. Hesitantly, she moved it to lean against the door frame outside the hut and instead used the walls to balance her as she bent down to pick up the bowl. The task was a bit difficult with one hand, so Yona opted to instead just put pressure on her sore leg. She winced as she brought the bowl to the boy and sat down across from him. He nodded a silent thanks as he took the bowl and poured a small amount of water into the bowl of mushed herbs. Yona watched him as he put down the water bowl and proceeded to again mix the ingredients.

He didn't say much else after that and Yona took the time to examine him further, now that she was closer to him. Even while his face was twisted into a concentrated frown, he still looked soft. His skin was fair, so much so that Yona found herself glaring at it in envy. For years she had been using special ointments and expensive creams to give her the flawless complexion she now had, yet here this boy was, who lived in the forest for who knows how long, having beautiful skin! If she hadn't known any better by his voice, she would have thought he was a girl!

"So you're  _her_  huh?" the boy said, though his voice sounded more distant.

"Her?" Yona questioned, her attention now away from his pretty genes and on his words. "You mean the princess?"

"You aren't as tall as I thought you'd be."

The princess's eyebrow twitched in annoyance at the remark. Why was every new person she met, content on insulting her?

"Move your leg towards me, please."

Yona's glare turned into a full on confused look. "Excuse me?"

The boy put down the block he had been using to mix the ingredients and picked up the bowl, then pointed at her wounded leg. "Your leg? You hurt it right? I noticed while you were limping over to my house."

A blush grew over the princess's cheeks at the realization that she had been spotted from the get go. She was damn lucky it hadn't been a criminal's house or she would have been a goner...not that she knew this guy enough to say he wasn't one.

"Do you want my help or not?" the boy asked impatiently, bringing Yona out of her embarrassment. "I've got other things to do, you know."

"R-right!" Yona smiled bashfully as she quickly re-positioned herself and pulled up her dress just enough to expose the wounds on her one leg. She grimaced at the look of them. The swelling hadn't gone down from this morning and there was still a lot of dry blood along the open wounds. Yona was suddenly glad that she had decided to use that branch. It might have been a lot worse if she had continued to put pressure on it.

The boy didn't seem to be impressed with the way it looked either and even gave Yona a disapproving look, before grabbing a cloth and soaked it into the water bowl and then used it to wash away the dried blood. Yona let out a muffled cry at the feeling of direct pressure on the wounds. Instead of complaining though, Yona chose to stay quiet. This boy was nice enough to help her, the least she could do was not sit and whine about how much it hurt.

"Don't worry it's not as bad as it looks," the boy reassured, finishing the wash and then reached for the other bowl. "Though it would have been a lot better if you had bandaged it up as soon as it happened."

Another blush rose onto her cheeks. Why hadn't she thought of that!?

"You're really lucky someone as amazing as me lived around here," he continued to rub it in as he scooped out some of the medicine he had made and then gently started to smear it over the cuts. "You could have gotten an infection. I'm really surprised you haven't actually."

Yona breathed out in relief as the medicine was rubbed over her shredded ankle. It gave off a cold, burning feeling. "You're right, I am lucky," she agreed, giving a small, uncertain smile to her healer. "I suppose I owe you one, mister…?"

"Yoon," Yoon assisted. "And no mister, I'm too young for that. As for owing me, a thank you will do."

"Yona smiled wider at hearing his name for the first. It suited him, it was just as pretty. "Well than, thank you, Yoo-"

"And of cause a decent amount of payment for my labour," Yoon added, while he made sure each part of the wounded area's were covered. Once he was satisfied, he brought his gaze up to look at the princess, who gave a nervous, "Of cause!" He knew he wasn't going to get a penny.

Standing up, Yoon walked over to a small, hardly noticeable cupboard and opened the draw to pull out some bandages. Yona watched as he made his way back over to her and sat down again, to continue with his job.

"You're really good at this," Yona noted as Yoon swiftly rapped her wounded leg.

"It's not that hard to do really, even an idiot could do it," Yoon commented as he tied a knot at the end. "You should try not to walk on it for a while, but at worst, it might only leave a couple scars."

Yona couldn't help but pout at the news. It wasn't princess-like to have scars. Would Soo-Won think they were gross?

"Hey, be thankful!" Yoon instructed, catching her pout. "You could have easily lost it."

Yona blushed at that, and nodded quickly in apology. "You're right. Thank you, Yoon. It's just that I never saw myself having to worry about that kind of thing."

Yoon nodded as he quickly picked up the equipment and started to pack them away, while Yona watched from her spot on the floor.

"Do you have any scars, Yoon?" Yona asked curiously. He must of gotten into some messy situations having to live in this place.

"Nope, I'm flawless," Yoon bragged, turning to smile at her boastfully. "I make sure to look after myself, so that I can keep my good looks."

Yona couldn't help but giggle at the proud response. "I must admit, you have got a cute face!"

The compliment only made Yoon smile prouder, even as a bit of a blush appeared on his cheeks, though Yona didn't seem to notice. "Anyway, I need to head out to get some meat for tonight. You can rest for a while in here, while I'm gone."

Yona grew silent at the unspoken invitation to stay for dinner. Maybe she was risking a lot by still staying here, but since he helped her with her leg, it must mean that he was at least a bit trustworthy. Besides, there was no way that she would survive out there with her injury. It had been nothing but sheer luck before. So Yona just nodded, smiling at the boy as he slung a satchel over his shoulder. At least she wouldn't have to be alone anymore. She didn't even know this 'Yoon', but she felt much better being able to talk with another human.

"I won't be too long. Just stay inside the hut and you should be okay," Yoon said as he started his way out the door.

"Yoon wait!" Yona shouted out to him, forcing him to stop and turn to look at her. "Will you be okay on your own out there?" She knew it was a stupid answer. If he had managed to live out here alone, than he must know how to survive outside the hut too. Still, you can't blame her for worrying.

Yoon relaxed at the question and adjusted his satchel to a more comfortable position. "Don't worry about that, they don't come around here. I'm sure you must have noticed how quiet the forest was near this area."

Yona's brows furrowed at the statement. That would explain why she had such a peaceful journey today, but why would the werewolves avoid this area? It couldn't be that they were afraid of Yoon. "Why won't they come here?"

Yoon seemed to hesitate answering the question, before gripping the satchel's strap and turning to start his walk. "It's nothing, make sure to get some rest and don't walk on that foot!" he warned as he kept walking. "I don't want to get back and have to bandage it all over again!"

Was it just her or did he avoid her question? Yona watched in worry and confusion as Yoon left her view. When she couldn't even hear his steps anymore, the princess stretched out her body to lay down. Once she was comfortable, Yona realized just how tired she was. Apparently she hadn't gotten enough sleep earlier, but considering all the walking she had been doing, it didn't really surprise her. She wasn't used to that sort of thing. Letting out a small yawn, Yona wondered again if it was wise to trust this guy. Was it the best idea to put her guard down and sleep in a stranger's house that also happened to be in the world's most dangerous forest? She supposed it wasn't, but that thought didn't have her getting up and leaving. Maybe it wasn't her smartest move, but Yona really felt like she could trust Yoon. She hadn't known him for too long at all, but she could tell that he was someone that could come to like.

With that, Yona allowed herself to fade into dreamland for the second time.

* * *

' _So that was her,'_ Yoon thought as he slowly walked through the forest. It was only midday and the young boy already had a bulging headache.

Of all days, he hadn't expected to see her today. It hadn't been the best morning of his life to start off with in the first place. For one thing, he had woken up to find many rain-caused puddles all over his hut's floor. That resulted in him spending the better part of his morning trying to find and patch up all the damn leaks in the roof! He still wasn't sure if he got all of them.

Than he had to go out and gather up some fruit for breakfast, because the forest animals had somehow gotten into his hut last night and eaten most of it. And then there was the cherry on top of the cake when he noticed a figure hiding between the trees, watching his house. He was standing ready with a firewood log in his hut in case the figure made the bad choice of trying something. After all, he knew it wouldn't be a werewolf. It was only when the figure started limping down the trail to his hut, when he noticed the crimson mane.

Yoon sighed and looked up at the bits of blue sky that peeked back at him between the many leaves and branches of the trees. What a day. He wondered if Ik-su knew she was here yet? If he did, would he come back?

Yoon dropped his gaze from the clouds to back to the forest in front of him. It didn't really matter much though, did it? Ik-su was probably miles away, that is, if the idiot hadn't gone and gotten himself killed yet. He sincerely hoped not. Ik-su aside, that girl was currently in his house and she was wounded. Not exactly the introduction Yoon thought she would give him, but hey, when life gives you lemons right?

She seemed nice enough, though it was obvious that she had lived the noble life, but he wouldn't hold that against her. He had met plenty of snobbier nobles when he was younger. He wondered how she had gotten those wounds on her leg though. Only a werewolf could have made those marks, but if that was the case, she was lucky that she had gotten away with just that.

But it wasn't just her leg. He had taken a good look at her while tending to her ankle. From what skin he could see, she was covered in bruises and she looked really tired.

Yoon wasn't sure what he was supposed to do with her once he got back. That part had never been properly established and he wasn't really sure that he had any part to play in this whole thing anyway. Yoon frowned at not knowing what to do. Why couldn't Ik-su magically appear right now and tell him the answers? Was that too much to ask for?

Sighing in agitation, Yoon followed the familiar root he took everyday and tried to push away all the uncertainty. He would head back and allow the princess to heal up in his hut and than they would figure out what to do from there. He was sure that her royal knights and the king were probably searching high and low for her right now. If they made it to this part of the forest, he was sure that they would see them soon too.

Coming to a stop, Yoon knelt down and pushed away some bush to reveal a small trap. He had set it up yesterday, along with a few others, but he wouldn't bother with them for now. He had never been a fan of hunting and these traps provided another option. This particular trap was box-shaped and only designed to contain an animal and not actually harm it. He tried to avoid those kinds. Why torture the poor thing before killing it to eat it?

Opening the trap, Yoon peeked inside and frowned at the rabbit inside. It was a small trap, so he didn't exactly expect a deer or anything, but he really wasn't in the mood to skin a little bunny.

Another sigh had Yoon accepting the fact that today just wasn't his day. He hoped the princess liked rabbit.

* * *

Yona woke up to a sudden start. Her body forced it's way up into a sitting position, but luckily, she didn't stand up. The princess took a moment to try and calm her rapid breathing. She had had a bad dream, though she knew it was more of a memory than a dream.

She had visualized that moment in the carriage, that moment when she had been hurled out of it, because a werewolf had grabbed her. She could still remember how much fear she felt when her father had lost his grasp on her hand and when she flew over the edge of the cliff. The worst part wasn't the pain of feeling the werewolf's teeth tear at her ankle. No, the worst part was seeing the look on her father's face when she fell away from him. She had never seen that kind of look on his face before. He looked so destroyed, so helpless, like he thought he had lost her forever. Like they would never see each other again.

Yona clenched her eyes shut in an attempt to push the memory away. She never wanted to see her father look at her that way again, but more than anything, she just wanted to see him. Yona let out a small sniff at that wish and absentmindedly reach up to wipe a way a stray tear. The indication that she had been crying made Yona want to scream. Crying wasn't going to bring her back to her father. It wasn't ruler-like. Her father would be so disappointed in her.

Yona let a sad smile grace her lips then. She was wrong there. She knew he wouldn't be disappointed. He'd try his best to comfort her and tell her that everything was going to be alright, even if he wasn't sure that it was the truth. He'd just try to make sure she was happy.

Combing back her mess of hair, Yona silently hoped that he was okay. She hoped that they were all okay, but she had no doubt in her mind that Kija had gotten them to safety. He was one of the top soldiers in the whole kingdom. Yes, she was sure that her father and Min-soo had made it to safety. She tried not to think about general Joo-Doh and Katsu. When they were forced to leave them behind, she knew from the atmosphere that it was bad. She just had to hope that they somehow made it back too.

"I see you're awake," Yoon noted as he peeked into the small house. Yona jumped at the sudden intrusion, but quickly calmed herself enough to smile at the boy in front of her. She really had to get a hold of herself. She couldn't freak out every time someone appeared, her heart wouldn't be able to take it much longer. It was then that she realized how dark it was inside. The only light she could see was the gleam of the fire that was somehow still burning outside, though much smaller than it had been earlier. Maybe Yoon had started a new one? "You look a lot better, those circles around your eyes aren't as bad anymore."

"How long was I asleep?" Yona asked tiredly as she tried to get her blurry eyes to focus on the boy.

"Only a couple hours," Yoon answered and Yona had to suppress the embarrassed squeal attempting to break out of her.

"That long?" Yona asked, to which Yoon nodded back amusingly. "Why didn't you wake me up?" Yona pouted, while trying to straighten up her clothes, but failed and eventually gave up. "I must have been in your way, sleeping in the middle of the room like that."

"It's good that you got some rest in," Yoon assured her. "I still think you need way more though, but why don't you eat something before you go back to sleep?"

"You cooked supper?" Yona stared in bewilderment.

Yoon smiled smugly at her in an obvious 'yes, he had cooked supper'. It was funny, on any other guy she knew, that smile would annoy her and make them look brutish. Yet on Yoon, it just made him seem cuter! Like a proud child that had just been told they'd done something amazing.

With that, Yoon disappeared again and dished out two bowls of stew, before returning to the young princess. "Here," Yoon offered Yona one of the bowls. Yona accepted it with a genuine smile. It smelled amazing! She didn't dig in until Yoon seated himself opposite her inside the hut, his own bowl placed in his lap.

The two humans ate in silence, besides the small hums from Yona. The food tasted just as good as it smelled and it was a treat for the princess who had previously gone through hell. It was actually quite chilly, with the door open, but Yona appreciated the cool, night air. What was even better was the chance to actually relax and know that she could sleep tonight without having to worry that some werewolf might jump out of the bushes and eat her up. Speaking of which…

"Yoon?" Yona said, lowering her wooden spoon and looked at the boy in front of her. Yoon didn't bother to shift his eyes away from his meal and instead hummed in acknowledgment. "Earlier..." she started. "..You said something about the werewolves not coming near here. Why don't they?"

Her question caused the young boy to freeze just before he could swallow his mouthful of rabbit stew, but he quickly regained his cool. Lowering his spoon now as well, Yoon sighed, before making eye contact with the anxious princess. He couldn't blame her for being curious. If he were in her shoes, he'd probably be demanding an explanation, at least she didn't have his temperament.

"Is there something special about this part of the forest?" Yona asked when Yoon stayed quiet. "I always thought that they ruled the whole landscape..."

The sigh that left Yoon's mouth had the princess stop talking. "Look, I think it just has to do with some small legend that they believe in."

Yona only seemed more confused at that explanation. Legend? Did those monsters even thing about such things? Like everyone else in her kingdom, she had been told the story at a young age of how the werewolves were born, but how they lived and acted she knew nothing. She remembered asking her private tutor once about the werewolves, as all the other servants and her father wouldn't tell her anything about them. Even Soo-Won politely refused to talk to her about it, saying that she shouldn't worry about them and that she would never see one anyway. She presumed everyone just didn't want to scare her, considering how scared she could sometimes get at night time. They probably were just trying to protect her, but that didn't stop her from being curious. Who wouldn't be curious about the mysterious monsters that surrounded their kingdoms walls? Her tutor hadn't been much help either. After scolding the princess for interrupting their lesson to ask about the beasts beyond the wall, her tutor only said that they were savage beasts and that it was not something little princesses ought to think about at all. Yona pouted at the memory. She had thought it was something the princess of the Capital  _should_  know. After all, one day she would be the empress of the kingdom.

Furrowing her perfect eyebrows, Yona thought back on Hak. The werewolves couldn't have been as mindless as everyone insisted if one of them could fool them into thinking he was one of them. Hak had managed to convince everyone that he was human and he even looked the part too. For all the time that Hak had been at the castle, he had been able to speak, eat and walk the same way everyone else did, not to mention, Yona remembered those other two werewolves that were with him earlier had been speaking normally as well. So, that had to mean that the werewolves had more on their minds then just  _ **eat**_ _,_ _ **kill**_ and  _ **hunt**_ _,_  right?

"You shouldn't scrunch up your face like that, it'll cause early wrinkles," Yoon said as he finished his meal, reminding Yona that he was still there. Self-consciously, Yona reached out to smooth out her forehead, earning a laugh from the other human, to which she sent a mock glare his way. Yoon didn't pay much attention to the glare and happily took the girls empty plate and placed it in a basket near the entrance, along with his own. He would wash them them in the morning, he had spent enough energy for one day.

"What legend was it?" Yona asked once Yoon settled back into a sitting position against the wall.

Guess he should have known that she wouldn't drop it. Bringing his legs up to put them in a crossed position, Yoon wondered what he should tell her. If he didn't say something, she was likely to keep him up the whole night with her questions. "Have you ever heard about the Crimson Witch?"

"You mean the women that caused the werewolves?" Yona asked. She didn't seem to be taken back by the famous nickname, she seemed passive.

' _At least she knows her history,'_  Yoon thought in relief. It would have been a pain to explain the whole story to her. "Right," Yoon confirmed as he stretched his arms a bit, before moving them to rest in his lap. "Your grandmother actually."

Yona shrugged at that last part. She had never known the women, considering how early she had died. Her father never talked about her either, so she never really thought of the women to be her grandmother. She seemed more like a character in a fairy tale to be honest, despite her being part of their kingdom's history. The only reminder Yona had that she was actually related to the witch was her inherited hair color.

"What about her?" Yona asked, curious to see why her 'grandmother' had a part to play in this story.

"I think they believe that she lived here many years ago," Yoon said, turning his head to look outside at the forest. "The probably see this area as holy ground or something."

Yona turned to also look out at the forest, her face flashing with confusion. "..but, didn't the werewolves kill her?" Yona voiced her confusion. Yoon turned his attention to her. "I mean, why would they avoid this place if they were the ones that killed her?"

Yoon frowned at that. He should had figured that Yona would only know the human's version of the story. When she turned her confused expression on him, Yoon answered; "Maybe they're scared that she haunts this side of the forest or something."

That earned the princess's skin to pale slightly, telling the boy that this princess was not exactly fond of ghost stories. He could relate. Before she had the chance to overreact, Yoon hastily added, "But I've never noticed anything like that since I've lived here."

The color slowly came back into the princess's cheeks as she let out a shaky breath. Yoon mentally patted himself on the back for stopping that theory from going any further. If it had, he might of ended up creeping both of them out.

"Wait," Yona said, bring a finger to rest on her chin as a thought ran through her mind. "Does that mean that the witch might have actually lived around here!?"

"It's a possibility," Yoon shrugged, looking at the anxious-looking princess, whose skin seemed to visibly crawl at his answer.  _Great._

"I-is this her house!?" Yona fearfully asked, now starting to regret the nap she'd taken earlier...by herself...alone…!

"Don't know, maybe..." Yoon slowly answered, nervously eyeing the way the princess frantically searched his hut for what could be a sign that the witch actually lived here.

Yona almost squeaked at Yoon's uncertainty. How was she going to get to sleep now!?

"Calm down!" Yoon ordered, annoyed at the way Yona seemed to debate in her mind. The last thing he needed was for her to run off into the forest with her injury. He wasn't in the mood to run after a scared girl, besides, if she carried on like this, he would get carried away with her in the freaky ghost story. "I promise there is no ghost. If there was, don't you think she would have attacked me by now?"

It was easy for him to say that. How many times had she complained about how awful her hair was? What if her grandmother overheard her and wanted to pay her back for the insults? Yona audibly gulped at the very thought. It didn't go unnoticed by Yoon, who leaned forward to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her.

"Would you cut it out!" Yoon shouted as he shook the poor girl. "You're starting to freak me out too!"

Yona easily managed to free herself from his grasp, but didn't move too far away from him. She'd rather stay close. "But Yoon, haven't you ever considered?" she asked skeptically. "How can you live here, when there's a possibility that-"

"There is no ghost!" Yoon insisted, feeling his headache come back full force. Who knew he had been living the life out here, all by himself? Letting out a deep breath, Yoon moved to rest against the wall again. "Just trust me on this okay?"

It took an uncertain moment, before Yona seemed to relax and nodded, allowing Yoon to mentally cheer.

"You have goosebumps," Yona suddenly pointed out.

"So do you!" he shot back in embarrassed defensiveness, something she apparently found funny, because he heard her giggle to herself. Looking back at Yona, he was relieved to see that the princess was finally done, or at least decided not to bring it up with him anymore. He'd have to make sure that she got some sleep tonight, just in case she was still scared.

A few moments of silence passed and Yoon was about to suggest they get to sleep, when Yona spoke up.

"How long have you lived here?"

Yoon shot her a warning look, thinking she was attempting to restart the previous conversation.

Yona seemed to understand and let out another giggle, while waving her hands in front of her. "No-no!" she grinned. "I just want to know. You seem to know your way around and I was curious."

Yoon relaxed once she cleared up her question. ' _Thank goodness.'_ The boy seemed to think it over for a while, before answering. He hadn't thought much about it recently and he didn't want to lie. "A couple years. Eight I think."

Yona gasped at his answer and Yoon raised an eyebrow. "So Long!?"

Yoon straightened out his sleeve's cuff. "Years go by fast, especially when you don't pay much attention to them."

Yona could only gape at the boy in front of her for a few seconds. Eight years!? She hardly survived by herself these passed few days in this forest. She even had a hard time, when she still had the carriage to sleep in! How did he manage to make a living around here. Sure, he lived in the area where the werewolves apparently avoided, but it was still impressive.

"How old are you," came her next question.

"I'm fifteen," Yoon answered easily. He watched with furrowed brows as he watched the princess try and confirm something in her head.

"You were seven years old!?" Yona gasped and Yoon sighed in exhaustion. He didn't think it was a big deal, after all, he was living much easier now then before he came here. He had to hand it to her though, at least she knew basic math. "You're really amazing Yoon!" the princess awed, causing the boy to blush in embarrassment, but also with a bit of pride. He knew he was amazing, but it was nice to hear it from others too.

Shrugging it off with a pleased smirk, Yoon said, "I know..." The smirk slowly faded into a grim line. "..but it's not like I was always alone," he whispered, but loud enough for Yona to catch.

"Someone else lives here too?" Yona asked, concerned about Yoon's change in demeanor and Yoon wanted to kick himself for letting it slip.

Sighing, Yoon took a moment to think of the wondering idiot he had shared a hut with not too long ago. It still felt like he would come stumbling through the door everyday. Even though he would never admit it, it was always a let down when he didn't.

"Yoon?" came Yona's concerned, soft voice. When he looked back at her, he was surprised to see her worried eyes so focused on him, even though they had only met this morning.

Yoon sent a reassured smile her way in an attempt to cheer her up. He appreciated the concern, even if surprised him, but he didn't need it. He was always good at looking after himself. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about the moron that used to room with me," he waved offhandedly.

The princess accepted the smile and offered her own one. The affect it had, was even more surprising to the young boy, even with the few bruises and dirt that married her facial features. Maybe she did inherit more than just her hair color from her grandmother. "Was he you're friend?"

A quick "Hah!" left Yoon's lips, snapping him out of her smile's hold. "More like I was his caretaker, he was always falling over the place and breaking things, the old man," he corrected and punctuated it by rolling his eyes, but Yona could see the look of fondness Yoon had for the mystery man.

"I bet the two of you were really cute together!" Yona grinned at the image of a frantic Yoon tending to a blank figure, while at the same time scolding him for his recklessness. She practically cooed at the image, earning a less than amused look from Yoon.

"Hey, how did you guess that he was a man?" Yoon wondered out loud.

Yona blinked comically at the boy, before answering, "I just couldn't picture you living with a girl, by the way you first talked to me, you don't seem to know how to properly interact with one."

That had Yoon sending another glare her way as the princess smiled innocently back at him. It wasn't like she was really one to talk though, Yona could hardly speak to Soo-Won, her fiance! Yona was quick to grab his arm and apologize, when Yoon started to get up to leave. She was having too much fun and it was so nice to have someone to talk to, it was a nice distraction.

When Yoon eventually gave in and sat back down, Yona went on to ask more about his hut-mate. He told her that his name was Ik-su and that he had lived here a while before Yoon moved in. Apparently Ik-su had left almost a year ago. Yoon wouldn't tell her why though and by the look on his face, she was sure that Yoon missed him and so she didn't push for answers. From what she could tell from his story, it seemed that Yoon really cared about him.

"I just hope he's not doing something stupid out there like starving to death," Yoon said, his voice far away. Yona felt bad for him. She hadn't been in the forest for that long, but she remembered how terrified she had been all by herself. Yoon had lived alone in the woods for almost a year, yet somehow he managed to stay sane and caring. Temperamental, but caring.

"Why didn't you ever leave this place too?" Yona asked before she could stop herself. Once it was out, she felt terrible. What if Yoon was still hoping that his friend would one day come back and he was just waiting for him?

The silence that followed only worsened Yona's guilt and she was about to apologize to Yoon when his soft voice answered.

"I don't really have anywhere else to go, I guess."

Yona's eyes widened at the confession. She wasn't entirely sure if she was supposed to hear that and if Yoon had just unconsciously voiced his thoughts. Whether that was the case or not, Yona still felt a tinge of happiness that he still shared it with her.

"Hey Yoon?" Yona called and waited until the boy moved his eyes to look at her. When he did, she offered another smile. "This may seem selfish, but I'm really, really glad that you still live here," she said and Yoon's eyebrows raised in surprise. "If you weren't here, I'd don't know what I would have done, so I guess what I'm trying to say is..thank you."

Yoon blinked at the sudden seriousness of her tone and he couldn't help but to turn his face away from her to hide his growing blush.

"Oh!" Yona suddenly said, forcing Yoon's heart to skip a beat in alarm at her loud voice and look at her startled and confused. "I just realized," she hummed thoughtfully. "I turned sixteen not so long ago, so that means I'm actually older than you."

Yoon suppressed the urge to groan out tiredly. He just didn't understand this girl and even more so hoped that not all girls were this troublesome. Another comment from the happy princess had Yoon ordering her that they go to sleep. If she wanted to carry on, she would have to take it outside with the ghost.

Let's just say the princess was more then quick to comply with his orders.

* * *

It wasn't long before Yona could hear Yoon softly snoring a few feet away from her in the hut. She envied him. Naturally she was still tired, but the idea of sleeping just wasn't as appealing as it was a few hours ago and despite all that talk, it wasn't because of a ghost.

Yona sighed as she lay on her side, her arms snugly tucked beneath her chin. Yoon had provide more than comfortable bedding and if she really tried to, Yona would be out in seconds. Already, her eyes were burning with the need to sleep, but she refused to close them. It was pathetic, but Yona was scared of what awaited her in her dreams. Would she see that same vision she had earlier? The image of her father's pained expression still haunted her. How was she supposed to sleep when there was a possibility that she would live through that experience all over again?

Blinking her tired, dry eyes, Yona tried to find a more comfortable position. She was being ridiculous. Yoon said that she needed the sleep, she knew she needed the sleep and at least she was in a hut now instead of the dangerous forest. She felt safe in the small hut, so why couldn't she just get the nerve to sleep?

Another sigh left the princess's lips and a second later she heard Yoon shift in his bedding. Yona held her breath in worry. Why, she wasn't really sure, but she didn't want to explain to Yoon why she couldn't sleep. Besides, it wasn't fair to keep him up either. Luckily, Yoon didn't move again or say anything and soon Yona heard him let out another soft snore. Relief flooded Yona's senses, but it didn't help much else. She was still unable to sleep and what was worse was how hot it was in the hut. It was almost humid.

Giving up, Yona sat up and pulled away her blankets, before slowly and quietly standing up. She used the wall to help her balance and tried to open the door without making a sound. Before stepping outside, Yona stole another glance at Yoon who was still asleep and oblivious to her absence. Fully reassured now, the heiress carefully walked out of the small hut and into the blissfully cold air. It felt amazing against her sweat-soaked skin.

Taking a quick look around for any danger, Yona allowed herself to breath when it was obvious that there was none. She knew Yoon said that the werewolves didn't come around here, but she hadn't had the best of luck lately and honestly, she was still scared.

The little 'yard' that surrounded Yoon's house seemed so peaceful, even with the intimidating forest that surrounded the area. Knowing full well that she wasn't going to get any sleep, Yona decided to sit under one of the nearer trees. She still had to limp to get there, but Yona was happily surprised to note that her ankle felt a lot better! It still stung and she doubted that she'd be able to run without it burning, but compared to how it had felt earlier, this was a big improvement. She'd have to thank Yoon again for that herbal medicine. It really worked fast.

Once she was settled against the tree, Yona took the time to properly examine Yoon's home. It really was neatly kept. She wondered how he kept the grass from over growing. Near the hut, she saw the remainders of the fire from earlier. The wood had turned to black charcoal and there wasn't even a trace of smoke left. It was a shame. It had been the flames that had lured her here. If she hadn't seen the smoke, would she have found Yoon? It was scary to think about.

Resting her head against the tree trunk, normally she would have refused the very idea of getting her hair and clothes dirty, but at this point it didn't really matter at this point. Yona reluctantly allowed herself to be reminded of just were she was and what had happened. Her chest swelled with the need to cry, but she resisted the urge. She was just to tired. She could cry another time, right now she just wanted to sit in silence and stare.

It was strange how just a while ago how much better she felt and how at ease she was, but Yoon had just been a good distraction. She was so happy to have found him, but it didn't change what had happened to her.

She refused to think of her father, Soo-Won, Kija and Min-soo and everyone she missed at that moment. She could just hope that they were all okay and that she would see them soon.

' _Yes'_ , Yona insisted in her mind as she stared at nothing in particular. She would find a way back home. She wouldn't let her father live without her.

* * *

**Hi everyone!**

**Here's another chapter, I really had fun writing it too.**

**Next chapter will hopefully be out soon.**


	12. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hak finally finds Yona.

**Chapter 11**

Hak frowned down at the small hut while he hid between the trees. It was a crisp morning in the forest. The area Hak was currently in was known to be the most peaceful and quiet and for good reason. Normally he wouldn't enter this side of the forest. He never saw any point in it to be honest. It was an unspoken law that no hunting could be done near this area and if he couldn't hunt here, he just didn't bother showing up here at all. He was pretty sure the other members of the pack felt the same way, why waste your time behaving here when there was plenty of other forest to go nuts in?

Unlike any other time though, Hak had a specific reason to be here.

After Gi-gan had sent him off to find the princess, Hak had practically searched the entire forest. It was when the sun finally rose that he took a break. She was one impossible human to find! Usually Hak was a great hunter, the best in his whole pack actually, and yet he couldn't find one little, human girl whose hair was sure to stand out. More than a few times, he found himself wondering if she was even still alive. It was possible that another wolf had found her. If that had been the case, all hope was lost.

It didn't stop the young werewolf from searching any less though. He could only hope she was still alive and alone. Not because he cared about the girl or anything, but because Gi-gan would likely kill him too if he came back empty-handed again.

Hak shook his head at the unwelcome thought and instead brought his focus back to the small hut not to far away. He could see every detail of the hut if he focused hard enough. He still had the necklace that Gi-gan had forced him to take with him, but this time he didn't wear it, instead keeping inside his robes. He didn't understand why he needed the damn thing. He was ninety percent sure that the princess had seen his half form. Still, he would take the chance and wear it once he found her. With any luck, maybe she really hadn't seen him. If nothing else, it was worth a shot, if she ran, he'd easily catch her this time.

"Sure is peaceful this side of the forest," Jae-ha breathed out as he relaxed against one of the trees behind Hak.

"It  _was,_  before you broke the silence," Hak calmly said, not even sparing the other werewolf a side glance. Before Hak could leave the pack again to find the princess, Jae-ha had just returned from a small hunting trip. At first the green-haired man had been ecstatic to see his friend return home, but when he saw the mood the other was in, Jae-ha had practically forced Hak to tell him what had happened. Once Hak gave him a summary, Jae-ha had insisted on tagging along.

"It'll go so much faster if two people are looking," Jae-ha had said and Hak didn't want to admit it, but he probably did need the help. He was still worried about his senses. He could smell Jae-ha and the other wolves, but he hadn't been able to pick up the princess's scent at all yet. Unfortunately, Jae-ha didn't seem to have much luck either, but Jae-ha's senses were fine. They weren't as strong as the average werewolf caused by that fact that Jae-ha was only a half-breed, but they were still way better than any human's senses. To be fair, the forest did have many different smells. Finding one girl was no easy task.

"I'm relieved," Jae-ha said, his voice, a teasing tone. "I see all that time spent with the humans hasn't had an affect on your attitude at all."

Hak mentally rolled his eyes at the snickering man behind him. He could have done it physically, but he didn't want to give him the satisfaction,  _plus_  he wasn't a child. "You sure this kid will know know anything?" Hak grumbled, raising a muscular hand to rub his temples. Of all people, it just  _had_  to be droopy-eyes that caught him leaving the pack.

After hours of searching with no luck, Jae-ha had suggested going to see Ik-su's little caretaker. Hak had initially refused, but in the end, the two ended up running over to the hut. It was a long shot, he knew that. There was no guarantee that the princess had made it this far, but if she was, by some miracle, still alive, he hoped that this kid knew anything.

Jae-ha stretched his arms over his head, making them  _ **click**_. "If anyone knows about your little damsel-in-distress, it'll be him," he answered through a yawn. Jae-ha hadn't gotten any sleep either last night. Hak made a note to repay him later, after all, he did need the help and it wasn't Jae-ha's problem.

Nobody had come out yet, he guessed the kid that lived here was still sleeping. The tired wolf frowned at that image. How he wished he could be doing the same.

Turning to look at the werewolf behind him, Hak asked, "I hear the older one isn't here anymore?"

Jae-ha nodded his confirmation, before getting up to stand next to Hak so he could peer out at the hut. "Apparently he left last year sometime."

"How'd you figure?"

Jae-ha smirked down at the obviously tired and annoyed raven. "You really ought to show up to more pack meetings Hak. If you did, you might actually know what's happening around you," he teased, enjoying the glare he received from the other maybe a little too much.

"You do realize that I am incredibly close to kicking your ass all the way back to the pack, right?"

"So mean," Jae-ha chuckled. "And after everything I've done for you."

This time Hak actually did roll his eyes, the other's overly dramatic tone forcing the action. Before he could tell Jae-ha to can it though, he heard the door of the hut creak open. Both werewolves directed their attention towards the hut's entrance where a young boy stepped outside.

'That must be him,' Hak thought, raising an eyebrow as he scanned up the human. He was young and very skinny, though he remembered Ik-su not looking any better the last time he saw him. The boy seemed to be unhappy about something, almost panicked actually. Hak watched curiously as the human frantically looked around his yard.

"I believe his name is Yoon," Jae-ha voiced as he also kept his eyes on the small human boy.

Hak eyed the other wolf suspiciously, before turning back to the human. "And where did you hear that from? Another meeting?"

"I have my ways," Jae-ha shrugged off his reply, but Hak caught the freaky smirk he did. "How do we know that he'll even tell us anything?" Hak asked.

Resting a hand on one of his hips, Jae-ha kept his gaze outwards. "There's no harm in asking, right? We can always force it out of him."

"Droop-eyes," Hak warned, narrowing his eyes at his friend. "You know we can't kill here."

"Of cause not," Jae-ha agreed. "But nothing says we can't drag him out somewhere else either," he thoughtfully said, causing Hak growl out a warning. Jae-ha raised up his clawed hands in mock surrender. "Kidding," he grinned.

Frowning, Hak turned to look back at the male human walking around in his yard. He couldn't see the two werewolves. Hak had insisted they wait until the boy was awake and that they hide until then. The spot they had chosen to hide in was a decent spot, it provided a direct view of the hut and enough shade for them to remain unseen.

"Shall we?" Jae-ha asked, as he continued to watch the human.

Hak nodded wordlessly and the pair were about to jog into view when the human seemed to find what he was looking for. Hak stopped, staying in the shadows as he watched Yoon walk towards another tree, slightly out of their view.

"What is it?" Jae-ha voiced, who had stopped along with the other. Hak didn't reply, but walked along the trees, in the direction of where Yoon was, but he made sure to stay hidden. Jae-ha frowned at being ignored, but didn't question it and instead moved to follow the younger wolf.

Hak suddenly stopped walking, his eyes widening at the sight before him. There laying against one of the trees was the princess he had been searching day and night for. How had he not seen her!? How did Jae-ha not sense her, when they had been so close? Hak suppressed a frustrated growl when he realized that while they had been waiting for the past hour here, the person they were looking for was right under there noses. If he had just walked a few feet to the right, he would have noticed her sleeping down there.

"Well would you look at that," Jae-ha chuckled, coming to stand next to Hak and forcing him out of his depressed thoughts. "Hak, I think I found the princess."

The glare that the raven gave the other werewolf was more than scare worthy.

"You're welcome," Jae-ha grinned at the glare. Oh, how he had missed his friend. Nobody else was quite as fun to torment.

Letting it go (he would get him back later), Hak turned to see Yoon walk away from the sleeping princess and head back towards the hut. He didn't want to just go down and kidnap her while the boy was there. If he could help it, he'd prefer to talk with her alone. Gi-gan, fro whatever reason, wanted her to keep thinking he was a human. Hak hummed frustrated. He guessed he could still pretend to be human in front of Yoon too, but he didn't know how much this kid knew. He wasn't sure if he wanted to risk it…

"Jae-ha.." Hak said, his eyes moving from Yoon to the princess. "I need you to do me a favor."

"Just add it to the list," the green wolf accepted and Hak grinned back at him.

"Take care of Yoon."

* * *

A more than disheveled Yoon swung the door of his hut open, the door  _ **banged**_ at the force. Yoon would have boasted to himself about the unexpected amount of strength he just displayed if it wasn't for the bubbling panic he was currently experiencing. He had woken up slowly, it felt like any other morning, peaceful and quiet. It was when he say the remaining bits of medicine from yesterday when his memory came back to him. There was only one problem: There was no princess inside the hut.

Yoon practically ran around the small yard, trying to find the girl. He was able to relax again when he saw her passed out against a tree. Sighing in sheer relief, Yoon walked over to her sleeping form. He wondered why she was out here instead of inside the hut. He couldn't help the tinge of annoyance he felt towards her. She had really scared him. Looking down at her peaceful expression, Yoon felt some of the annoyance vanish.

' _At least she was able to get some sleep,'_  Yoon thought, resting his hands on his hips as he let out a shaky breath. It was way too early for this sort of trouble.

Deciding to let her get some more rest, Yoon left the princess to get some work done. Why not? It wasn't like he could get back to sleep or anything. Maybe he could even get some breakfast ready for them before she woke up.

Walking over to his hut again, Yoon leaned down to pick up the basket with last night's dirty dishes. He didn't have much to do, just the two plates, spoons and the pot he had used to make the stew. There was a small lake not far from the hut. He didn't have to worry about the princess's safety. There was never any danger this side of the forest and he wouldn't be long anyway. He just hoped she was smart enough not to run off if she woke up and found he wasn't here.

'... _Maybe I should do the dishes later,'_  Yoon thought, he mind imaging himself running through the forest screaming out for the lost girl. He'd just have to wait for her to wake up. The young boy sighed out tiredly. It was hard being a host.

Yoon's thoughts were interrupted however, when a sudden loud, shuffling was heard coming from the forest ahead of the hut. "What was that?" he whispered looking out at the forest, but it was quiet again. He remembered that he had put up new traps two days ago. It was probably one of them. None of them were ever that loud though. An excited grin formed on the young boy's face at the hope of it being a larger type of animal that had gotten caught. Maybe it was a deer! He hadn't had deer in weeks!

Yoon started to walk towards the forest, after a quick glance back at the princess. She was still sound asleep. The few traps that he had were set up close to his house, he'd be back before she woke up, he was sure. With a quick nod to himself, Yoon sped off into the forest.

His quick footsteps were careful to not fall over any stones or fallen branches, his body used to dealing with the forest for many years now. He may be short, but his legs were fairly long and he used them as an advantage. He had to get back before the princess woke up and panicked that he wasn't there. His eyes scanned over all the places he knew were rigged with traps, easily dodging them if he say that they weren't the one that had been triggered. Twigs snapped under his feet, the only sound besides his quick breathing. He didn't bother looking at a few of the traps he knew were too small to capture an animal big enough to make that sound. He'd just have to come by later to check the smaller ones and let those animals go if there were any. He wouldn't need them if he had been able to trap a large animal. Him and Yona would be able to feed of the deer for two days at least. He just hoped it hadn't just triggered the trap and then got away.

Another few feet and suddenly Yoon was lifted up in the air, a shriek ripping from his throat. His body was caged up in a net and before the boy knew it, he found himself staring at the ground several feet below him. "W-wha?" Yoon struggled to get out as he gripped the netting that kept him from meeting the ground.

"Oh good, it worked."

Yoon's head shot to the right, where the voice was and gasped at the werewolf-man now standing a couple feet away from him.

"I was worried that you might not find it," Jae-ha explained, his body leaning casually against another tree as he smiled sneakily up at Yoon. "It's one of yours you know," he continued. "you hid it really well too, I almost got caught."

Slowly recovering from the shock, Yoon managed to sent a furious glare at the werewolf, his hands gripping the net tighter in an attempt to stay still. "What the heck are you doing here, werewolf?"

Jae-ha didn't seemed fazed at all at the rude tone. Actually he was sort of impressed that the kid was keeping his cool...well he wasn't cowering in fear.

"How rude," the green-haired wolf sighed, while watching the human fume down at him. "We are, in a way, neighbors, there's no reason for that sort of behavior."

"Werewolves aren't allowed on this side of the forest!" Yoon yelled, unable not to glance at the sharp canines that peeked through the man's lips.

"I believe the law says we can, as long as we don't harm or kill."

"AND WHAT WOULD YOU CALL THIS!?" Yoon demanded.

Jae-ha took a moment to examine the small human slowly, before answering. "You seem fine to me."

Yoon couldn't believe what was happening. This werewolf either had to be stupid or uncaring of the pack laws. He couldn't help the gulp that occurred when he wondered why this guy had captured him. He was supposed to be safe here.

The werewolf chuckled at the worried look on the boy's face and decided it was time to give up the game and put the boy at rest. He wasn't a cruel beast. Pushing himself fluidly away from the tree, Jae-ha moved to stand a bit closer to the net and felt slightly bad for the flinch the small human gave at the action. It must be hard for someone so young to live of the land alone.

"Relax Yoon," Jae-ha smiled reassuringly, he didn't miss the surprised look Yoon gave when he knew his name. "We're not here for you. We just didn't want you to get in the way of a little reunion."

Yoon furrowed his eyebrows. ' _Reunion?'_  What did he mean.. When realization hit, Yoon's body went ice cold.

"YONA!"

* * *

Yona awoke with a start, her body jerking up slightly. It took a second to realize where she was, but memory quickly came running back when she saw the familiar hut and burned firewood nearby. The princess visibly relaxed and took a moment to rub away the sleep from her eyes.  _Gross,_ she knows. A small yawn left her lips and it was then when Yona found how uncomfortable she felt. Her back only slightly ached, but that was the price you pay if you want to fall asleep against a hard tree, she guessed.

' _I can't believe I fell asleep out here,'_ Yona thought. She wondered if Yoon was up yet. He'd probably scold her for leaving the warm hut in the middle of the night and putting pressure on her leg, even if it was starting to feel better. Though, now that she thought about it, she was kind of chilly, but not too bad. Looking back over to the hut, Yona noticed that the door was open. Had she left it open last night? She was surprised that the wind hadn't slammed it shut.

Yona reached up and combed some of her hair away from her face. She couldn't help but cringe at the feeling of it. Her arms then moved down to rap around herself, shielding her thinly clothed shoulders from the slow, cool wind. The young princess allowed her eyelids to slip shut and she focused on her breathing.

Not far off, footsteps against the grass and fallen leaves could be heard, but Yona didn't open her eyes immediately, knowing it was just Yoon. She was ready to apologize for leaving the hut, when a deep, familiar voice stopped her.

"Princess."

Yona's eyes shot open in fear at the sound and despite her desperately wanting to get up and run away, away from the man she now knew as a traitor, she couldn't. Her body seemed to freeze at the sight of him. He looked like a human again, no claws or wolfish ears sticking out, but all Yona could still see was a monster. The same monster that had somehow crept it's way into her home and helped the attack that lead to her being stranded in this forest. The attack that may have caused the death of her kingdom's general. The reason why she wasn't with her father right now.

Flashes of the racing carriage came flooding back into her mind like a tidal wave and Yona would have screamed in fear, if it wasn't for the paralyzed state her body was in at that moment. Hak – no. The werewolf took a small step closer towards her and Yona couldn't move to make up for it. She felt tense. It was like she had forgotten how to use her body. All she could do was stare wide-eyed at the beast looking at her.

Hak frowned at the silence. Should he take her not running away as a good sign? He expected screaming and crying. Maybe she hadn't seen him after all? The enchanted necklace was once again around his neck, to Hak's displeasure. Yet again he stood out in the open with no wolf power, but at least here there were no threats. He just hoped that Jae-ha was keeping Yoon away. If the human came back to find him here, he wasn't sure how it would go down.

"Princess..you alright?" Hak asked in a calm voice, actually curious and not just acting. He had seen the bandage around her ankle while walking up to her. He was surprised that she hadn't gotten broken anything or gotten any other serious injuries while by herself. He wondered how long she had been here.

A small gasp escaped from the heiress at the question, but Yona still remained seated on the ground. Even though her body was overflowing with fear, Yona felt a surge of anger run through her. How dare he ask her that. How dare he still act like one of the nights enlisted to protect her family, when he had been the one behind all the chaos.

When the princess still didn't answer, Hak moved closer, but stopped when Yona's body finally decided to move. The princess backed herself further against the tree, her fingers shooting backwards to dig into it. She didn't dare to tear her eyes away from him though and Hak clenched his teeth at what he saw in them. He didn't have to think twice to know that she knew. She knew what he was.

"Princess.." Hak softly said and watched carefully as Yona let out another fearful sound. Another step towards her had the princess flush against the trees, her body practically shivering in fear. It was strange to think that this was the same girl that had been teasing and arguing with him only a few days ago. Instead of her normal bratty attitude she normally directed at him, she now only gave off the feeling in which all humans did when in the presence of a werewolf. For some reason he couldn't place though, Hak didn't exactly like it. "I need you to relax for a bit," the raven instructed as he took another step.

Yona's eyes seemed to quickly shift towards the hut, before shooting back to him. "W-where is Yoon?" came the shaky question. Hak was impressed that she could even speak at all with how violently she was shaking. He guessed her stubbornness still stayed even in these kinds of situations.

"He's out looking for some breakfast," Hak lied. "I found him while passing through, he told me you were here. Said I should come get you." Maybe he could keep up the act.

"What-what did you do to him?" Yona squeaked, her face paling. Had he hurt Yoon? Didn't Yoon say that werewolves never came here?

Hak frowned at the accusation. "I didn't do anything."

"If you hurt him!" Yona's hands clenched into fists, her body shaking in fear for not only for herself but also for Yoon. He had only wanted to help her and she may have gotten him killed. The princess bit into her lip at the thought. "H-how could you?" she sniffed, her eyes already starting to water.

Hak didn't look away from her and started to slowly walk towards her, lifting his hand up. "Princess, I didn't-"

"Don't touch me!" Yona screamed, her chest heaving as she stared fear-stricken at the beast-hidden man before her.

Hak's hand froze mid air at the scream, his eyes never leaving the scared girl.

"I know what you are," Yona whispered, almost like admitting it would hurt her. Like it would make him turn into that monster she had seen before. Slowly, the princess lifted herself off the ground and slid herself up against the tree, the slight pain in her leg forgotten as her eyes stayed glued to the monster.

Hak frowned at his suspicions being confirmed. This meant that Yona wouldn't be coming with him quietly. "Princess-" Hak started, but suddenly a fist full of sand was thrust into his face. The werewolf grunted out and wiped away the dirt, before looking back at the princess, only to see her running back into the forest. The raven-haired werewolf sighed at the sight, before running off after her.

* * *

Yona ran as fast as she could through the forest, making sharp turns and sprints as she went. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to get away. She had to find Yoon!

The idea of Hak hurting him was unbearable and it only made the princess only ran faster. Yona vaguely heard a growl from behind her and she let out a panicked scream before closing her eyes as she sprinted forward. It hadn't been the best idea and the princess accidentally jumped over a large dip in the ground and she only crumbled to her knees for a second, before forcing herself up again to keep running.

She frantically looked around the forest as she ran. What she was looking for was a mystery to even herself. There was nobody here that could help her. The forest was made for the werewolves. The fact that she was even running was a waste in time. There was no way she could outrun a werewolf, she wasn't even able to outrun that many humans either. Her fate was sealed, she knew that. It was only a matter of time before Hak caught her and it would all be over.

Tears flew from the princess's eyes and she didn't bother to stop them, instead closing them to block out the sight of the forest around her. If she was going to die, she didn't want to witness any of it.

The princess's run abruptly stopped when her small form crashed into something hard. A terrified yelp left the girl's lips as the force of the hit had her falling backwards onto the hard ground. Scrambling to sit up, Yona looked up with wide, blurry eyes at a dark, tall form and for a minute she thought it was Hak.

"Well look what we have here," a gruff voice said, sending chills down the princess's body. It was not Hak, but she was sure that whoever it was was no better then him. "What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?"

A clawed hand reached out to play with a lock of her hair and Yona froze at the feeling. Blinking her tears away, she was able to actually see the werewolf. He was big, his eyes feral. They seemed to be ravishing her and Yona couldn't stop a fearful shudder. The beast seemed to enjoy that and moved to grab her face, his claws pinching in to her cheeks.

Yona let out a pained whimper and the werewolf snickered as he forced her chin up so that she couldn't look away from him.

"You're a pretty little thing aren't you," he smirked, moving his face closer and leaned down to sniff at her neck. Yona gritted her teeth at the action, her eyes widening in pure fear and disgust. She felt disgusting having him eyeing her and breathing down her neck. "Strange.." the wolf muttered against her skin. "You have no smell.."

Yona whimpered pathetically when he allowed one of his sharp canines to graze her skin. "Stop," the princess sniffed, still unable to move away. The werewolf seemed to ignore her and continued to trail up her neck. Why was he doing this? Why didn't he just kill her? Yona squeezed her eyes shut when the wolf moved up to the junction of her neck and started to nibble at it. It was nauseating. She could smell his breath, it reeked like something at died in it and she shivered at the idea that he must have killed something before finding her.

The beast seemed to take her shiver as pleasure and chuckled against her skin, before leaning back to look upon her tear-stained face. "Enjoying yourself human?" he chuckled and Yona tried to move her face away, only for him to yank her back towards him.

The princess screamed at the feeling of his claws scrapping against her cheek. The werewolf clicked his tongue in a taunting manner as he examined her now scratched face. "Now look what you made me do," he mockingly said, and leaned in to lick up some of the blood that was oozing down her cheek, ripping another cry from the princess's lips. "Quite now," the werewolf hummed, moving both his hands to entangle them in her long, crimson hair. "We wouldn't want to do any more harm to that pretty little face of yours, now do we?" he whispered and Yona silently let more tears fall.

"P-please," Yona whispered, her body going limp as the monster kneeling before her continued to play with her hair. "Please don't." She wasn't sure what she was begging him not to do, but the way he licked his chapped lips had her shivering in fear.

The hands stopped, going still in her hair and the werewolf smirked down at the crying princess. "Why? Don't you like the feel of me human?" he asked, his voice holding something similar to hatred. "Am I too  _beastly_  to you?" his voice growing darker the more he continued.

"Please," Yona begged, her eyes closing shut again, her words weak.

"Now why would I stop?" the monster growled, forcibly pulling down at her hair and making her lay down on the ground. Yona stiffened when her head hit the ground below her and her eyes shot open in fear, only to be greeted with the horrid sight of the werewolf moving to hunch over her. "You know, I was always told not to play with my food," he growls down at her. "But it's not everyday that I'll find a cute little human girl roaming my forest."

Yona shut her eyes in fear as the werewolf leaned down to whisper in her ear, his large body covering hers, preventing her from escaping no matter how hard she struggled. "My friends won't be happy with me if I kept you all to myself," he whispered, breathing over her ear.

"Stop it," Yona whimpered, only making the other smirk against her.

"You're right," he snickered, ignoring her words. "Screw em right, I'm gonna keep you all to myself."

A menacing growl sounded and Yona's eyes flew open. She couldn't see around her, her line of vision being blocked by the werewolf on top of her, but looking up at him, she could tell he was not happy.

"What do you want?" the wolf on top of her growled, his whole body tense and prepared to fight.

Another growl sounded from the intruder and Yona held her breath at the aggressiveness of it. Her heart pounded harshly in fear.

"Get lost, go run back to your pack," the werewolf warned, his eyes growing bored. "I'm not in the mood to deal with your kind." Yona's mind blanked at the statement. His kind? Weren't they all from the same tribe? Her thoughts were interrupted with another growl form the new comer. She stayed silent as the two continued.

"Wait a minute," the wolf said, causing Yona to look back up at him to see him smirking at whoever was there. "I know you. You're Man-dok's boy."

The intruder gave a louder growl and Yona shivered at the sound.

"I get it, you want in on the fun," he snickered, turning to look back down at his prey, the werewolf leaned down to lick at her scrapped face again and the princess flinched. Drawing his tongue back inside his mouth, he smirked; "What do you say I give our friend hear your leftovers? After all I did catch you first." With that the werewolf gave off another growl and bared his teeth and Yona let out a terrified scream, before he was abruptly pushed off of her.

The princess scrambled to sit up, her eyes wide and scared. She swirled around to see a huge, black wolf attacking the werewolf that had been holding her down. The black wolf seemed to easily pin down her previous attacker, who struggled to break free of the tough hold. Yona watched the scene play out, her eyes and body glued to the spot, like she was frozen.

She knew she had to get out of here, while the two werewolves kept themselves busy, but she couldn't seem to snap out of it. Why had the black one attacked him? Weren't they on the same side? Her eyes stayed focused on the fully turned werewolf. She had never seen them so fully shifted. Actually, until a few days ago, she hadn't even seen a half-formed werewolf. He was terrifying.

The pinned werewolf suddenly gave off a howl, but was instantly silenced by the older wolf who latched onto his arm and threw him to the side. Yona flinched at the sound of his body hitting the floor. When she looked over to him, he seemed to be knocked out. A bit of relief flooded the girl's senses, but it left when she heard the other werewolf growl again.

Yona tried to crawl away from the beast as it started to walk towards her, but her arms wouldn't move. She closed her eyes again and braced herself for the pain she was sure she was about to experience. Suddenly the footsteps stopped though and Yona heard a grunt. When she opened her teary eyes again, she say the black werewolf slowly shifting into a human form. Her mouth gaped in shock as black hair sunk into the slowly standing man's skin.

Blue eyes opened to stare down at her and Yona froze. "Hak.." Yona whispered in shock and Hak frowned down at her. Why did Hak fight one of his own kind? The question kept repeating in her scrambled mind.

Before Hak could say anything, a howl sounded somewhere deeper in the forest and both Yona and Hak turned to look in it's direction. Yona whimpered in fear at the thought of more werewolves, before flinching at the sound of Hak's growl.

The next thing Yona knew was that she had been forced to a stand and pushed against a tree that was surrounded by bushes. The princess attempted to scream in protest, but was silenced when a rough hand covered her mouth. She blinked in fear and confusion, only to find that Hak was hovering over her, keeping her pressed to the tree. Her wide eyes searched his face, his lips snarling silently out between the trees. She felt her heart pounding harder at the dangerous atmosphere, but she wasn't sure what was happening.

More footsteps made her hold her breath, Hak's hand keeping her mouth from saying anything. Allowing her eyes to drift off to the side, Yona saw three other men – no, three werewolves come into her view.

One of the three went to stand over the fallen werewolf from earlier, before letting out a growl. Yona's breath caught at the sound and she forced her eyes shut, not wanting to see what they would do and hoping that they wouldn't see them.

She heard the muffled voices, she presumed were from the three werewolves a few feet away, but only opened her eyes again when Hak removed his hand a few moments later. She slowly looked back through the bushes to see that the other three werewolves were gone. Yona didn't allow any sigh or feeling of relief though. All because they were gone didn't mean that she was safe.

Looking back at the former knight, Yona found herself frustrated at not knowing what he was thinking. Why had he saved her? Was he only protecting her so that he could kill her himself? Why would he attack his own kind? The princess leaned her tired, aching body against the tree behind her, her eyes watering again for feeling so helpless.

Why was this so complicated? Hope she didn't want started to blossom in the princess's chest. Was it possible that Hak was on her side? Or was he just protecting his territory?

Hak sniffed the area again and sighed when he couldn't smell the other three wolves anymore. He couldn't see them either. They had just taken their pack member and left, probably going to look for whoever had done that to him. He'd have to be careful when heading back, especially with the princess. He wouldn't be able to protect her and fight so many werewolves, at least not so easily. He was at a disadvantage with her here.

Slumping his shoulders, Hak turned back to look down at the princess, but stopped any words he was about to say when he say the look on the princess's face. She looked like a mess. Her face full of blood, dirt and tears. Her hair was everywhere and for whatever reason, he hated the way her eyes looked out at him in fear, but what surprised him was something else in those eyes. He wasn't sure what it was, but he had never seen her look that way at anything before.

And for some reason, it startled him.

* * *

**Review Please!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hak and Yona finally get to talk.

Yona's wide, scared eyes stared at her rescuer's back. The very man that had actually been a werewolf, a werewolf that had been the cause of her being stranded and the one had tried to kidnap her a few minutes ago.

' _Why?'_ Yona thought, her body having had slowly sunk down to the ground again, her body leaning against the tree, she and Hak had been hiding behind. She felt heavy, her body ached. She knew that she should get up and run away, but she had no energy for that anymore and besides...where would she go?

As if on cue, Hak turned around to look down at her, his face neutral. Yona's body froze at being under his eyes again. Even though he had just saved her life, she still feared him. He was, after all, an enemy to her kingdom. An enemy that had almost gotten her and her father killed.

"They're gone now." Hak said and his voice had the small princess suck in a startled breath. He seemed to watch her then, probably wanting to see if she would try and escape again or try something funny.

"So," his monotone voice started, "Even after risking my life to save you, you still don't say 'thanks'," the werewolf frowned, taking one step closer to her. His frown deepened however, when she tried to back away, only to stop and wince in pain.

"You're hurt," Hak stated more than asked. His eyes moved to her blood-stained cheek. That other werewolf must have done that before he got here, but from her body language, she didn't seem fazed by it. It could be that she was still in shock.

After another second, Hak continued to walk over to the princess, who's eyes widened in fear, her shoulders closing in tight. Her legs stuttered an attempt of movement, but he saw her wince again at the movement. Her leg? When he was close enough, Hak knelt down directly in front of her. She didn't lash out at him, seemingly frozen again. His eyes looked up at her face to see her fearful expression, his hand hesitating, before reaching out to pull up her torn dress.

Yona let out a shaky gasp at the closeness, but didn't try to stop him. She knew she wasn't strong enough to do that, instead she shut her eyes tightly, hoping it would all be over fast.

The pain however, never came.

Hak's clawed hand gently traced the swelling skin above the bandages still around her ankle. His eyes narrowed at the look of it, he didn't want to think about how the actual injury looked. It figured that the scatter-brained princess would let it get this bad.

His hand on her ankle lifted the small leg just slightly upwards to check if the swelling went all around, but he faltered at the sudden watery gasp the girl let out. "Is it sprained?" he asked slowly as to not scare her further.

"Why do you care?" the princess whispered back, more to herself then him, keeping her eyes closed.

Why  _did_  he care? Hak threw that thought away very quickly. Letting go of her dress, he let the fabric cover her legs once more, his eyes staying on the girl. "Maybe I'm tired of you running away?" he found himself saying. ' _Way ta go, Hak_ ,' the werewolf thought frowning. That won't creep her out at all.

"Why?" Yona's small voice echoed through the forest, after some silence.

Hak's eyes stayed glued to the princess, watching as her tiny body shook with fear and adrenaline. She looked so troubled, helpless.

"Princess-" Hak started for some crazy reason, reaching out to help her, but stopped any further action at the fearful glare she shot him, her eyes opening up. His hand balled up tight, before falling back to his side. His teeth clenched at the way her eyes darted out his claws. He wasn't ashamed of them, it was part of who he was, but the way she looked at them…

"Is Hak really your name?" Yona whispered and if it wasn't for Hak's wolf senses, he would never have heard her. His eyes went back to land on her, only to see her half looking at him, half trying to hide herself away.

"Yes," he answered, whether or not she actually wanted an answer from him. When the princess hesitantly moved her head full to look at him, Hak's eyes shifted to the blood painted on her one cheek and he frowned. He never saw the fun in playing with your prey. It just proved to the humans of their belief of how inhuman they were.

Yona gulped at his simple answer. She wasn't sure why she asked him. She shouldn't even be talking to him. He wasn't any better than the other werewolf from earlier, but she was tired of fighting, of running away. It's not like she could anyway.

The princess struggled with her words for a minute and she found herself wondering why the werewolf was just kneeling there, watching her. A humiliated shudder ran through her body at the thought of him enjoying watching her suffer. She didn't want to die like that, cowering in fear. A shaky breath left her lips, her eyes closing tight for a quick moment to try and calm her heart. When she opened them, she locked gases with her hunter/rescuer.

It was almost funny how similar he looked like the man she had been so easily annoyed with for the previous few days. The main differences were his clawed fingers and the wolfish ears that stuck out through his hair. The princess found that she couldn't look away from his blazing stare, his blue eyes holding hers captive. It was intimidating.

She wished she knew what he was thinking.

"A-are you going to kill me?" Yona stuttered, but her eyes didn't waver. She scanned the way his expression changed to a full frown, almost like he had just been insulted. It confused her.

"I should," he muttered and Yona bit her lip.

"Then why-"

"Who knows.." he interrupted, his eyes softening and for a moment, he looked sympathetic, human.

"That's not an answer," Yona shook, her eyebrows furrowing as she tried to keep her breathing under control. Her head lowered, breaking their contact. Instead, Yona closed them again, not wanting the frustrated tears to fall. She didn't  _want_ to cry anymore. "Please," she said, her voice breaking. "Please...I-I need answers.."

"You don't," Hak tried to stop her talking. It wouldn't get them anywhere. His frown deepened at the way her body shook, he could smell her tears, mixing with the blood on her cheek.

"I do," she whimpered. "Why me? What do you want?"

The werewolf's teeth clenched at her stubbornness. "If you come with me, everything will make sense," he stated. He didn't know what Gi-gan wanted the princess for, but he was pretty sure that the elder she-wolf would have a plan and he didn't want to compromise it.

"Why can't you just tell me?" she frowned, her eyelids tightening. "Are you going to hand me over to one of your friends? Is that why you aren't doing it to yourself?"

"Princess-"

"Don't!" Yona snapped and Hak's breath caught. She was giving him that look again. "You don't get to call me that," she hissed through her now streaming tears. "You're a traitor".

"Because I'm a werewolf?" Hak shot back, gaining some control over himself. "Didn't I just save your royal ass?" He knew his voice was rising, he felt a growl forming in the back of his throat, it was all he could do not to let it out at the still trembling princess.

"It's your fault that I'm here in the first place!" Yona shot back, her voice shaking, but her eyes furious. Maybe it was a bad move to argue with her capture, a werewolf that could tear her to shreds any minute if he wanted to, but it didn't stop her. Maybe it was because in some way, she still saw him as some unpleasant newbie knight, the one that had been stuffing his face with muffins at breakfast with her and Soo-Won. If that image made him seem less scary, than she'd stick with it. Or maybe it was because in the back of her mind, she knew she was going to die and if she was going to die, she didn't want go down just crying in pity.

Hak's eyes widened in anger at the accusation. "You think I wanted this to happen?" his growl slipping out slowly, he watched the princess shudder at the sound. "Believe it or not  _princess,_ but I had a plan and it didn't involve you getting lost in our land."

"I saw your friends ambush our carriage, remember?" Yona hissed, her hands moving to clasp her arms.

"Those weren't my-" Hak's mouth clenched shut, his eyebrows dropping into a tired frown. "Forget it," he sighed, moving to stand up. "Why am I even bothering?"

Why was he even talking to her?

"I already know you're a werewolf," Yona whispered, her eyes staring up at him with a desperate, but intense look. "..So why?" Her eyes seemed to haze out for a second and despite not wanting to, Hak found himself asking;

"Why what?"

Yona brought her gaze back up to him, her mouth gaping open and close, trying to find the words or considering whether she should even answer. "Why did you protect me?"

"It's complicated," he answered, not sure what else to say. Gi-gan had said that she wanted the princess back alive. That alone should be the reason why he kept that other wolf from killing her, but he knew it wasn't the only reason. Hak sighed, his head starting to hurt. It was impossible to explain and he doubted that the princess would even try to understand. He didn't even really understand, but he knew that he wasn't what her kind made him out to be, a monster. He didn't want to be a monster.

He wanted revenge, for them to suffer...at least that's what he thought he wanted. He had the chance to get them back right now. The very princess of the kingdom was wounded and alone, but he couldn't bring himself to hurt her. If anything, he felt disgust and anger for the other werewolf that had hurt her. Was it because he sort of knew her?

A pathetic smile stretched across his lips and the raven brought his hand up to cover his forehead. He couldn't believe it, he was becoming more like his old man every day. That knightly sense of duty really played a number on him.

"I don't understand you," Yona whispered, her eyes softer than before, almost looking through him, when he looked back at her. "I don't understand anything.."

Against his better judgment, Hak smirked. A sad smirk, almost sorry. He knew the feeling. "That makes two of us."

The princess's eyes focused on him as he said the words, before sniffing, more tears cascading down her cheeks.

Hak watched silently as the spoiled princess used her ripped up sleeve to wipe away her tears, his smirk slowly fading. She really looked like a mess. Her face was covered in dirt, blood and tears, her nose slightly runny. It was in that very moment that Hak saw how young she really was, just a teenager. A young girl who didn't know any better. Maybe that didn't make her much better, but she was innocent and he hated it.

Grunting, the werewolf moved to sit next to the sobbing princess, giving her a enough space not to touch him, but close enough to feel the others presence.

Yona peaked to her side, where the raven was sitting. He wasn't looking at her, his eyes focused on the sky between the trees. She didn't know what the gesture meant, but she was still grateful for it. Looking back down to her lap, the princess let the rest of her tears fall.

She didn't understand why, but it seemed she would live a little longer after all.

* * *

"How were you able to hide your..um.."

"Wolfish features?" Hak helped, his eyes trained on the small princess who still sat only a few feet away from him.

She had cried for quite a while, before her sobs suddenly stopped. It had been awkward and quite for a while after that and Hak found himself not knowing what to do. He should have been taking her back to the pack, but he found he didn't want to, at least not yet.

A couple more awkward minutes later and the wolf had nearly jumped when he heard the hoarse voice of the princess. She had said something stupid, something about needing a tissue and Hak had automatically told her to use her sleeve. What surprised him more though was the quick, snobbish comeback she gave him. It seemed like she had been surprised too, because when he looked back at her, Yona was staring wide-eyed at him. Maybe she hadn't noticed until then that she had been talking out loud.

Before the dreaded silence could come again, Hak found himself ripping off a piece of his robs and offering it out to her.

She had hesitated, but in the end the mess of a princess had accepted the cloth. After that, she had continued with a slowly building conversation and soon the topic lead to him. Or more specifically, the wolf-side of him.

Yona kept her eyes downcast, still toying with the old cloth she had used to wipe her nose. "Yes, that," she silently confirmed. "C-can all werewolves do that or just you?"

"If we could, do you think that we'd stay hidden for so long?" Hak smirked, despite himself. It shocked him how easy it was to talk to her. It shouldn't be, even when he was disguised as a human he hadn't found himself easily talking to the small girl. A conversation that didn't have him wanting to push her off her high pedestal anyway.

Yona's fingers stopped their toying to peek back at Hak, a frown playing on her lips. "Then how did you do it?" she asked, confused. "Our doctors examined you body and found nothing."

Hak grimaced at the reminder, his head turning away from the questioning girl to clear his throat. "Don't remind me.." he breathed.

"So then?" Yona persisted, now more interested. "How did you do it?"

"Maybe your doctors aren't very good at their jobs?" Hak grumbled at her, only to see her frowning unconvinced back at him. The werewolf had to hand it to her, he was impressed. Half an hour ago she had been crying in fear of him, now she was glaring at him. An amused grin grew on the werewolf's face, he'd never understand this girl. "Okay-okay," he grinned at her sour expression. Reaching into his clothes, Hak pulled out the special necklace, before holding it up for her to see.

"A necklace?" Yona voiced curiously.

"It's enchanted," Hak explained, bringing it back into his robs. He probably shouldn't be telling her this, but the girl already knew what he was, it just didn't seem to be that important anymore. "When I wear it, I become a full-fledged human."

Yona's expression turned awe-filled for a moment, before rapidly shifting to thoughtful. "Wait, the nurses let you keep it on during inspection?"

"It's hard to say 'no' to me," Hak shrugged proudly. He smirked when he saw the princess try and hide her eye roll.

"I can't imagine why.." he heard her whisper.

"You aren't exactly the best pickings yourself, princess," Hak whispered back, his tone teasing, but that didn't stop the angry blush from spreading across her still dirty face. He shouldn't be, but he was kinda having fun.

"So, this  _is_ your real personality after all," Yona pouted, looking back at her hands.

"You must admit, I am original." He only got a  _huff_ in reply.

"Not how I'd put it," Yona muttered pouting.

"There are better words, I guess. Extraordinary for example," Hak shrugged easily.

"The books said you'd be uglier," she continued, ignoring his comeback.

"Happy to hear you can read, princess." He received another glare.

"Are you going to answer any of my questions seriously?" she asked tiredly.

"Give me a decent question," he smirked down at her. She caught sight of his canines, her eyes widening at them, before turning away from him. Hak's smirk turned into a frown at the change. He kept forgetting how much affect it had on her.

"...Does it hurt?" Yona asked again after some silence.

"What does?" Hak's eyes moved down to where her fingers still played with the cloth.

"Changing," she answered, her eyes every now and then going back to look at him. "Is it painful?"

"You sure are a curious little human, aren't you?"

Yona blushed at that, shooting him a quick glare, to which he smirked at. "It's normal to want to know these sorts of things," the princess defended herself, ears burning. "Aren't you curious about humans?"

"I think I got my fill of you people a while ago," Hak snickered.

Yona pouted out another glare she probably thought was intimidating, but it only made him laugh louder.

Another angry huff and the princess turned away from the laughing werewolf, her hands clutching the cloth in her lap. "Don't tell me then!" she muttered and Hak finally decided to give her a break.

"Okay-look," he chuckled. Shuffling around, Hak leaned back on his hands, catching the attention of the angry princess. "It doesn't really hurt."

"..At all?" Yona pitched up, letting go of her annoyance.

Hak breathed out a thoughtful sigh, his eyes going to his own clawed hands, flexing them. "Not exactly," he said. "It's hard to explain.." he looked back at her to see big purple eyes looking at his claws. He was relieved to see only a small bit of fear in them, but mainly wonder. He frowned for a minute. It wasn't a good idea for her to start trusting him, or letting her guard down, but it didn't stop him from continuing. "I guess...it's more of a rush."

"Like fainting?" Yona's eyes moved up to meet his.

"More like an adrenaline rush," Hak smiled at her curious eyes. It was nice to talk about this stuff. His smile vanished however, when Yona's body suddenly tensed, her head turning away from him.

"What is it?" he asked, his eyes narrowing on her, wanting to understand the change in body language.

"Have..have you ever," she softly asked, her eyes peeking at him. "..killed somebody before?"

Hak's eyes widened at the quite question. Yona looked terrified of the answer and he couldn't really blame her. He wasn't angry at her question, frustrated yes, but not angry. It was normal for her to think that he had killed somebody before.

"No," Hak said, his voice serious. ' _Not yet,'_  He added in his head, but he wasn't about to spring that on her. It was just something that was likely to happen when the real war broke out.

Yona visibly relaxed, her eyes fluttering shut to breath, before giving a small nod.

"Would you have run away if I had said yes?" Hak asked, wanting to kick himself once it was out. There goes another point to the list of stupid things he's said today.

"I don't think I could," Yona weakly admitted, her eyes opening to glance at her sore leg and Hak was just grateful his question hadn't set her off. "And I'm not fast enough to out run you anyway.."

"You're a descent hider though," Hak joked. The bashful smile he got from her did funny things to him, but he pushed them aside. "But you suck at keeping out of trouble."

The sudden giggle seemed to startle both of them. Yona quickly cleared her throat, before looking forward into the forest. Strange how not scary it could be when you weren't by yourself. "I do seem to get into trouble a lot," she absentmindedly admitted.

Hak stared at the small princess. She really had been through a lot recently. She still probably thought that she was going to die. She probably even thought that Hak might still kill her. He frowned at that fact. She wasn't half bad – as far as humans go and act all he wanted, Hak didn't want to kill her. Even if he took her to Gi-gan, he wasn't sure what would happen to her afterwards. He trusted the old women more than most, but she thirsted for human blood more than any of the werewolves in their pack.

Hak shook his head, getting frustrated. What was wrong with him? He had  _agreed_  to this plan. He had done it to be able to get revenge against the humans – the people that  _killed off_ most of his kind. Why was he being sympathetic to a human princess?

Threading his clawed fingers threw his messy black hair, Hak stole another glance at the little princess. She was still looking out into the woods, completely unaware of the inner-battle he was having over what to do with her life. He should never have volunteered. If he hadn't, he would never have met some of them, he wouldn't have hesitated to attack her.

He wouldn't feel like such a disgrace right now.

He couldn't do it. Hak blinked at the realization. Maybe he was weak or pathetic, but he couldn't hurt her. There had to be another way, at least for her.

"Hak?" Yona whispered, almost not wanting him to hear her, but she turned to look at him again when he hummed his attention.

Her eyes were soft, tired when she looked at him. "What's going to happen to me?"

He frowned at the question. He was still trying to figure that one out himself.

"Were you planning to kill me?" her voice soft, but serious.

"No princess," he answered honestly, his eyes set on her. She looked uncertain.

"But..those other werewolves.."

"Are not from my pack," he said, his tone telling her to believe him. When he saw her expression become more confused, he sighed. "Princess..." he started. "There is more than one wolf pack in the forest."

Yona's eyes widened at the new information. She had presumed that all werewolves lived together, but than again, she also thought they couldn't think about anything else besides killing either. "So..those others.."

"Had nothing to do with me," he confirmed, his face turning to look back up at the sky. "We aren't exactly on good terms either."

"Really?" Yona tilted her head, resting it on her one knee, eyeing him curiously. "I always thought you all stuck together." She wondered if her father knew.

Hak smiled up at the sky. It was still light outside, probably reaching midday now. "It hard to understand things you don't know much about."

"Maybe humans are the same."

Hak turned to look back at the staring princess, their eyes connecting. He wished she was right, but she didn't know the whole story.

"Hey Hak?" she called, even though he was still looking at her. "Your pack...are they the good wolves?"

Hak's eyebrow rose at the question. "Good wolves?"

Raising her head, Yona explained, "If your pack didn't cause the attack...why were you disguised as a human?" Hak tensed. "..What were you planning to do?" she asked when he stayed quiet.

Hak's head swam with possible ways to answer. He didn't want to tell her that he was spying on them to get information about the upcoming war. A war, he was sure she didn't know about. His pack wasn't looking for a peaceful solution, they wanted the war too, but only if they were prepared for it.

"It's complicated," he said, wanting to drop the topic.

"So explain it to me," Yona insisted, her voice uncertain, but soft.

Hak glared at her.

"Were you planning to use me for a deal?" she asked.

"Why are you asking me?" Hak growled softly, only to see that determined look again.

"I want to understand!" she breathed. "You can't be all bad if you won't kill me."

Hak's eyes widened at being called out.

Yona kept his gaze, not wanting to give up. "You won't kill me, so what were you trying to do?"

"...To prevent a war," Hak whispered, his eyes widened more when he heard the words slip from his mouth.

Yona's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What war?"

There was no going back now, Hak knew it, even as he racked his brain for a way out. A thought suddenly came to him, looking down at the confused princess. It might work, if he got the others to go along with it.

"Hak?"

His mind made up, Hak threw all warnings out the window. He would take whatever punishment Gi-gan had for him later, but he had to try this.

"My pack heard word of an upcoming war against our kind," he said slowly, watching her reactions. "Apparently the war is meant to get rid of us once and for all, but we don't know when it will happen."

"But," Yona started, her eyes wide. "Nobody would ever go into the forest. There's no way-"

"Yeah, that's what we thought too," he sighed.

"..So..when you came into the kingdom, you were planning to find out about the war?"

Hak nodded at the princess. "I was hoping to find out something in the Water Tribe, but then the whole ambush thing happened and-"

"Here we are," Yona finished, slightly dazed.

"Here we are," Hak echoed, his eyes searching Yona.

"What would you have done with the information?" Yona hesitantly asked.

"Try and find a way to avoid it," Hak lied, his expression as neutral as possible.

"How?"

Rubbing at the back of his head, Hak looked away from her prying eyes. "We don't exactly  _know_ yet, but if a war was coming, we at least wanted to know when it would happen. That way we could come up with an escape plan."

Yona seemed to accept that explanation, her face relaxing a bit and Hak mentally congratulated himself. "But," she said, looking back at him. "Why can't your people try and reason with my father? He's kind, I know he'd be more than willing to listen."

Hak stared surprised at her words, before snapping out of it. "I..don't think it's that simple."

"But it can be!" Yona stated, her eyes almost glowing. "You met my father, you know what he's like and-"

"I've also met the other generals, not so nice," Hak reasoned still a bit shocked and trying to get her to calm down. He was a better liar than he thought.

"They don't rule the kingdom," Yona carried on and Hak let out an exhausted sigh, which she chose to ignore. "If you come back with me, you can explain to him, I know he'll listen."

"And what am I supposed to say?" Hak shot back. "Hi Mr. emperor, I'm actually a werewolf, sorry about all the lies. By the way, can we talk about a peace treaty?"

"Why not?" Yona stared at him blankly.

"Look princess," he breathed out, "Not all humans are as..." he hesitated looking at her. "..accepting as others. You can't just call a time out and change history."

Yona's shoulders slumped then, her eyes lowering and it seemed that it finally sunk in. "Why can't it be simple?" she whispered and Hak found himself smiling at her.

"Don't worry about it," he shrugged. It's not like she could do anything about it. "And even if I wanted to, my pack leader would never agree. It's too risky."

"Can't you talk her into it?"

Hak shuddered at the thought. "Not likely, she isn't the reasoning type." His eyes caught the way she frowned. "..Why the sudden interest anyway? A few hours ago, you didn't want to be near me."

"A few hours ago I thought you were trying to kill me," Yona smiled sheepishly, before looking at her fingers, rubbing at the dirt that clung to them. "..And anyway..you did save me and um.." she stopped her movements, before looking up at him. "I just...thank you, Hak"

Hak blinked at her soft voice and he found himself looking away from her, suddenly way more interested in a nearby tree. "You..you really are something princess."

They sat quietly together for the next few minutes, both listening to the sounds of the forest. Yona was relieved that no other werewolves had come by again. She couldn't expect Hak to keep helping her.

"We should get going," Hak said, his voice loud in the silence. He stood up and Yona looked up at him. He seemed to hesitate, but then he offered her one clawed hand. He didn't expect her to take it, it was her choice.

Yona stared at the sharp nails, her body unmoving, before slowly looking back up at his eyes. "Where are we going?"

Hak smirked down at her and she frowned back. "Relax," he said. "I'll take you back to Yoon."

Yona's eyes widened, a small smile appearing on her pretty, dirty face. "Really?"

Hak couldn't believe he was doing it either. Gi-gan was going to kill him, but he knew it was for the best. He would just lie and say that the other pack got to her and he'd take it from there.

"If that's what you want, princess," he played it off with a smirk, but the honest smile he got from her had his heart skip a beat. He needed to get away from her fast.

Looking back at his hand, Yona slowly reached out, her hand stopping mid-air for a second before gently grasping his clawed one. She was then gently pulled up to stand on her one foot, her other arms reaching out for the tree behind her to balance when she let go of the werewolf's hand.

"You gonna be able to walk?" Hak frowned at her sore leg.

"Um.." Yona slightly lowered her leg to the floor, but winced when a little pressure was applied to the ankle.

"Don't tell me I'm gonna have to carry you," Hak sighed, shaking his head. It was his fault to to be fair though. He had been the one to make her run on it.

"Of cause not," Yona hissed, looking around before spotting her target. "There!" She smiled, pointing to a long branch near them.

"Yes, that's a tree," Hak stated in a voice like he was talking to a child. "You're learning so fast princess."

When he looked back at her, he was struck with the princess's UN-amused expression. "The  _branch_ Hak," she frowned.

Another glance in that direction and Hak said, "Slightly less impressive princess."

"Can you just bring me the branch!?"

Chuckling to himself at her outburst, Hak moved to break off the branch. It was longish, almost the princess's height. The werewolf then handed it to the small princess, then watched as she used it to balance her body only on one leg, moving away from the tree.

"See? Perfect," Yona grinned, happy that she had thought of this yesterday.

"This is never gonna work," Hak's deadpan expression voiced.

Yona ignored him, already using the stick to walk in the direction of Yoon's hut.

"We might get there faster if you crawled," Hak called out to the slowly moving girl, his hands resting on his hips. He was still being ignored. He allowed her to make a little more distance before calling out to her again. "Oi! Yoon's hut is back this way, by the way."

Yona stopped at that, her head turning to see the werewolf smirking, obviously proud of himself. Angrily, Yona struggled to turn her body around, starting to slowly walk back to him. A full put on her lips.

Hak smirk fell when the princess seemed to take twice as long to come back. One mistake had Yona stumble, almost falling, before quickly stabling herself.

' _This really is gonna take forever,'_ Hak frowned. He reached his limit of patience when the princess started to move around a dip in the ground, slowly avoiding it. With quick steps, Hak made his way to the princess and before she had any say in the matter, the werewolf pulled one of her arms to rest on his arm. He would have place it over his shoulder, but the girl was just so short.

"Yona squeaked at the sudden shift, her branch falling from her hands in surprise. The next thing she knew was that Hak was supporting her injured side, while he directed her to move in the right path.

"H-hey!" Yona stuttered, still shocked at how fast he had moved.

"One more word and I'll carry you," Hak warned as he continued to lead them through the forest.

Yona lifted her head to glare up at him, but didn't say another word as instructed.

* * *

**Hope you guys like chapter 12. Sorry it took so long to update.**

**I'll try and be faster with chapter 13.**

**Please review and let me know what you thought!**

**If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them...you know without spoiling the plot.**


	14. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...It's a short chapter.

"You need a bath princess."

"Like you're one to talk!" the princess blushed, her one arm still holding on to Hak's upper one. "I bet you never even heard of soap before you came to the castle!"

"Argue all you want princess, but I still smell way better than you," the wolf smirked down at the pouting girl.

The had been walking for a while now, Hak directing them back to the hut. In an effort to keep things not-awkward, Hak had decided to start a conversation. It may or may not have lead to him viciously teasing the poor girl.

All the blame couldn't be blamed on him though, she made it too easy.

"Let me walk on my own if a stick that badly!"

"I have a pretty good sense of smell," Hak denied. "You could be meters away and I'd still smell you. At least this way we move faster."

"And yet it still took you a while to find me?" Yona's eyes narrowed up at him.

"Well, I smelt  _something,_ " he smirked, shrugging his shoulders. The action making Yona almost lift off the ground. "I just didn't expect a princess to smell like that." Truthfully he didn't think she smelt that bad. He still couldn't sense her scent. The only thing he  _could_ smell was her dried up blood and the forest smell that clung to her.

There was also the slight smell of the other werewolf on her...that was what smelt.

"How is it possible for one person to be so much of a jerk?" Yona said under her breath, drawing out a chuckled from the raven. He hated to admit it, but he was sort of going to miss the little fireball that was princess Yona. She wasn't so bad when she wasn't acting all overly snobby.

"Are we almost there?" the princess glanced up at him, wanting nothing more then to be able to sit down. Even though Hak was supporting most of her weight, it was still tiring to walk this way.

"Should be just passed those trees," Hak nodded forward and Yona internally sighed. She didn't want to say anything, but her cheek was burning, as well as the rest of her body. It seemed that all the adrenaline had now worn off.

Soon the hut came into view and Yona really did sigh this time. Strange. It hadn't seemed that far away when she was running away from it earlier.

"Look at that," Hak stared at the hut. "We made it back and it's still daylight."

Yona frowned up at the werewolf who met her gaze with her grin. "Do you ever stop?" she asked. How was it possible that Hak had seemed more bearable when she still thought he was a human?

"I can't change who I am." She would have to stop that when she was back in the capital. It wasn't very princess-like. Although she didn't have anything to roll her eyes to back home.

With one last eye-roll, Yona looked back towards the hut, scanning for any signs of the only other human in the forest...at least that she knew of anyway. The door to the hut was still open, but she couldn't see anyone moving around inside, nor was there any sign of the boy outside.

"I don't see Yoon.." Yona voiced, here eyes still looking for him. She paused however when she heard Hak sigh out. Looking back up at him, she gave him a confused look. "What is it?"

Hak's other hand moved to mess with his black hair again, avoiding her curious gaze. "Remember when you accused me of doing something to him?" He had forgotten all about Jae-ha.

Yona's skin paled at the mention. "You said you didn't kill anyone!" she panicked, her body too shocked to move away from him.

"I didn't!" Hak cut off that fear, his eyes finding hers to make his point. "He should be fine."

" _Should be_!?"

"Relax," Hak breathed, having a look around the area. He had told Jae-ha to take care of the kid, but he didn't know how he did it. He was certain the other wolf hadn't hurt the boy though, he couldn't on these lands. He just hoped that Jae-ha hadn't gotten bored and gone back to the pack...but if that was true, where was Yoon.

"Hak?" Yona voiced, her eyes glued to the searching man. She believed that Hak hadn't hurt him, but now she was worried. What if Yoon had gone looking for her and had run into those other wolves?

"Just a sec..." Hak told her, his chin lifting to sniff the air around him. Maybe Jae-ha hadn't gone too far?

Yona bit her lip nervously as she watched the werewolf sniff. Her eyes moved back to the hut, hoping to find some sort of clue.

Hak's eyes stopped searching when he caught the green-haired half breed's scent. "This way," he instructed, helping the worried girl to head back into the forest in a different direction. The scent was strong, so Jae-ha must not be far, there was another scent with him, unmistakably human. Obviously the Yoon boy.

"Did you find Yoon?" Yona asked, trying her best to keep up with the fair pace without letting on how sore she was feeling. Luckily her ankle was able to keep off the ground, but the rest of her body still ached.

"Yeah," Hak confirmed, watching the ground for any dips or vines that might make her slip. He was pretty sure that her ankle was sprained. He really didn't need her to fall and break it or something else. "He's with one of my pack members.." he added hesitantly. She tried to hide it, but he heard the nervous gulp the princess made. "Don't worry," he insisted as they walked. "He's not like the others," he said, referring to her previous attackers.

Yona nodded silently, rather focusing on the path in front of her. She just had to trust Hak. He had said that his whole pack weren't against humans, so it should be fine, but it was still another werewolf, she couldn't help the way her heart drummed faster in fear.

To be honest though, Hak was a bit nervous about Jae-ha's reaction as well. The speedy wolf had come from a bad background with humans, way more daunting than some of the others in the pack. He had also lived longer with them, harshly, before Gi-gan had rescued him. Jae-ha never spoke about his past, but he did warn Hak about being careful around the humans when he first left on the mission. Like the others, Jae-ha had every right to hate the capital, he wouldn't blame him if Jae-ha wanted to have her killed on the spot. He had wanted them, all humans, to die too. He still did…

It was just Yona, for some reason.

He just had to hope that Jae-ha would keep his cool...and hopefully play along. If not, he'd have to get both him and Jae-ha away from her before the green-haired wolf did something drastic. He could be wrong though, Jae-ha wasn't aggressive. It might turn out differently.

Yona's gasp brought Hak away from his thoughts. He was about to ask her if she was alight when he heard the reason for her intake of breath. It was faint, mostly mumbled, but he could here someone speaking, the voice only getting louder when they walked closer and closer.

"Come now Yoon, it really isn't that bad," Hak heard Jae-ha say.

"I'm hanging eight feet off the ground!"

"That's Yoon's voice!" Yona said, her eyes widening in relief, trying to move faster, her pain momentarily forgotten. Hak easily kept up with her, still supporting her one side, his brain wracking itself on how to explain this to Jae-ha without the princess noticing.

A few more steps, bushing back some bush and Hak was able to see the two a couple feet away, over the branches. Yoon was glaring daggers at the green-haired werewolf as he dangled in the air via his own net. Jae-ha, himself, was casually sitting cross-legged against a large rock, his ever-annoying grin present on his face as he stared up at the hanging boy.

So, that's how he kept the little human away...

"At least your not alone?" Jae-ha offered, happily ignoring the boys furious expression. "I'm here to keep you company...and I think it's only seven and  _a half_ feet."

"You beasts aren't even supposed to be on this side of the forest!" Yoon seethed.

"Now-now Yoon, try to relax," Jae-ha sighed, smiling. "You'll be down soon enough. It's just until I get the signal from Hak."

"If you idiots hurt Yona, I swear-"

"Yoon!" Yona yelled out in pure relief, when she was able to fully see him.

Both Yoon and Jae-ha turned to the direction of the high voice, only to see Hak supporting Yona, whose red-rimmed eyes seemed to water at the sight of the young boy.

"Y-Yona?" Yoon blinked wide-eyed, looking at from her to the werewolf next to her, his hands gripping onto the net tighter.

"Hak?" Jae-ha voiced too, his tone confused, his eyes locked on the smiling princess. He had expected the girl to be with him-sure, but more likely slung over his shoulder, unconscious or even crying in fear. He didn't really expect her to be willingly walking – with Hak's help no less - and with a smile on her face. Did he miss something?

"Cut the kid down, Jae-ha," Hak ordered, when Jae-ha continued to stare wide-eyed at the princess. Jae-ha's eyes suddenly sprang to his own blue ones, the question obvious. What was going on? Hak nodded towards the boy, sending the other wolf a look. He'd explain everything later. He suddenly wished he could talk to Jae-ha mentally. Too bad that only worked when they were fully formed wolves.

Jae-ha still hesitated, sparing another curious glance at the girl, before getting up to cut down the now quiet boy. A quick slash of his claws against the tied down rope had the net falling down on the ground.

Hak grimaced at the sound of the human boy's body hitting the ground with a hard  _ **thud**_ , accompanied by the yelp of pain Yoon let out. He watched as the forest boy untangled himself from the net, before hastily standing up and shooting Jae-ha another glare.

It was then that Hak felt the princess leg go of his arm, her small frame escaping his hold before he could stop her. In a blur of dirty crimson, he saw the princess crash into the started boy's arms, Yoon catching her just in time.

Yona threw her arms around Yoon's shoulders, her body crushing him in a tight hold. She almost cried when she felt Yoon return the hug, if only to keep them from falling over. She didn't care though. She had been so worried when they couldn't find him at the hut. She may not have known him for that long, but Yoon had been kind enough to help her when she needed him.

"I was so worried!" Yona almost sobbed, her scruffy hair tickling his nose. She hoped she didn't actually smell as bad as Hak said she did, because she didn't want Yoon to point it out.

"Y-you're okay?" Yoon stuttered, his cheeks glowing pink from the sudden closeness. He felt the princess shakily nod, her hold tightening, before moving away to look at him face to face, her hands holding onto his shoulders now. He was surprised to see some tears.

"What about you?" Yona asked, smiling despite her tears. "Are you alright?"

The boy nodded distantly, hoping his cheeks weren't as red as they felt.

"Princess, your eyes are leaking again," Hak's monotone voice said, causing the younger boy to jump. He had almost forgotten that there were werewolves with them.

Yona turned to glare at the raven-haired werewolf, keeping one of her hands on Yoon to support her. It was then that Yoon took notice of her sore ankle. The skirt of Yona's dress was torn enough for him to see the now loose bandage, the skin swelling around and under it.

"Your ankle," Yoon frowned. It looked way worse then before he treated it. Yona must have been putting some serious pressure on it to let it get that bad.

"I'm sorry, Yoon," Yona brought his attention back up to her face. "I didn't think I-"

"What the heck happened to your face!?" Yoon demanded, his eyes widening when he actually focused on her and saw the dry blood covering freshly made claw marks. Before Yona could speak, Yoon glared at the werewolf he didn't know. "Violence isn't allowed this side of the forest!" The boy's temper roared. Why was that age-old fact so hard to understand today? And now Yona was more injured than before!

Hak watched silently at the exchange, a frown playing on his lips. Jae-ha hadn't said this kid was so loud-mouthed. He was actually impressed. He knew Ik-Soo could handle them, but it seems that this one wasn't afraid to scold them either.

"It wasn't Hak's fault Yoon," Yona softly answered for Hak, her hand squeezing her friend's shoulder comfortably.

"You're on a first name basis with this werewolf!?" Yoon breathed, his head now hurting. What was going on? A few minutes ago, he was going out of his mind with worry over this girl, thinking she was under the fearsome mercy of one of the werewolves. Yet, here she was, wounded and bloody, trying to defend one? He needed a pain killer.

"It was another werewolf," Yona explained cautiously. "Hak was the one that saved me. He's been trying to help me, but I just didn't know it."

Hak grimaced at her words, his eyes looking over to where Jae-ha was still standing wordlessly. He trusted Jae-ha not to make a scene, not if he asked him not to, but he was sure that this must be confusing the other werewolf.

"If that's true, than why trap me?" Yoon grumbled, his face red from all the yelling.

"My fault, that one is," Jae-ha suddenly voiced, startling the humans and Hak. Stepping closer to the two, Jae-ha offered a dashing smile to the young princess, who stared wide-eyed at the new werewolf. She hadn't even noticed him standing there, her thoughts solely on Yoon.

"Mind explaining?" Yoon frowned up at the green-head.

"I convinced Hak that it would be better to speak to the little princess alone,"Jae-ha continued, his eyes moving to Yoon, his smile set. "I didn't think he'd be able to properly explain the situation to her with you being there. We both know how suspicious you can be."

Yoon's eyes narrowed at his explanation. "And so you had to  _trap_ me?"

"It was the easiest way to go, besides you aren't hurt."

Hak watched wordlessly at the three in front of him. Yoon, although grumpy, seemed to be buying Jae-ha's story. He was impressed at how fast the green-haired wolf had caught on, even chipping in to help. His eyes then moved to Yona, who was still staring at Jae-ha, her skin slightly pale beneath all the blood and dirt. At least she wasn't running away.

"Jae-ha," Hak called, his face moving from the princess, who had caught his eye for a second when he spoke. "We should get going."

Jae-ha looked confused at him, his eyes sneaking another look at the princess.

"You're leaving already?" Yona asked, her voice breaking the growing silence.

Hak spared her a small smile, before walking over to Jae-ha. "It's getting late, the sun will be setting soon and we need to get back to the pack," he continued, walking passed the green-haired man, who hesitantly moved to follow him. "I'm sure Yoon will be able to look after you."

"B-but wait!" Yona stuttered, her hand still on Yoon, who looked at the departing wolves in silence. "You're just going to leave me? What about my father? I thought you were going to help me get home."

"I never said I'd do that," Hak voiced out, hopefully casually, ignoring the way Jae-ha was looking at him. "Now that I know you're okay, I can move on."  _Don't fight me. Don't fight me._

However, the werewolf stopped in his tracks when he felt something hit his back softly. Looking behind him, he saw a small rock laying on the floor all innocent-lik. Slowly glancing up, he saw the princess slightly leaned down, her eyes blaring back at him. Yoon was now holding onto her arms, bringing her up again.

"Did..did you just through a rock at me?" Hak asked, his lips curling into an amused smirk. Just when you think you understand a girl.

"You promised my father that you'd look after me!" she reminded him, her hands fisting, arms slightly shaking.

' _The emperor told her about that?'_ Hak thought, his smirking disappearing.

"You're a knight!" she said, her voice slowly raising. "It's your duty to get me back home."

Hak was frowning now, the guilt coming back. Wasn't that guilt supposed to leave after he saved her from the river? "I'm not a real knight, princess. I'm not even human, I don't qualify anymore," he finished, turning again.

"You said that you wanted to end the way!" Yona whispered strongly and Hak flinched, Jae-ha turning back too. "If you really feel that way, than you'll help me."

"Yona.." Yoon whispered, uncertainty laced his voice as he looked at the determined princess.

"Princess.." Hak breathed, his hand sliding over his eyes. She really was making this difficult.

"I am also a royal, just like my father," Yona said, her eyes glaring into Hak's back. "I am the future of the kingdom and that means I get to name knights too, no matter what kind. You live here in the kingdom, you're part of it too."

Hak's eyes widened at her words, his body tensing.

"I  _want_ you to be my knight," she declared, her eyes moving up to look at his when he slowly started to turn around. "Take me  _home_ , Hak."

And Hak smirked back at her.

* * *

**Sorry for the short chapter. I hope the contents are at least make up for it.**

**I feel like this happened quickly...**

**Anyway, hope you guys enjoy it! Please review and make me smile :D**

**I'll try and be quick with the next chapter! Have an awesome day/night!**


	15. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yona gets an idea.

"Well..it doesn't look infected," Yoon said, his voice slightly distracted with what he was doing.

Yona hummed in relief at the statement, but didn't move her head, her eyes focusing on the wall behind Yoon. The young boy was currently treating the claw marks on her left cheek. He was being extra gentle with the procedure and Yona was grateful for that.

A while after finding Yoon, he, Yona and the two werewolves had returned to the small hut in the forest. When they reached it, Yoon had practically pushed the princess through the door with the intention of checking her wounds, all the while scolding her for being so careless.

The first thing he looked at was her leg and both he and Yona hadn't been surprised of it's condition. The sight of the swollen leg without the bandages had made the princess wince. It was worse than when she first met Yoon. The skin had swollen an angry red and the large cuts had started to bleed again. "It's gonna take longer to heal now," Yoon had grumbled out, before cleaning off the blood that had oozed out of the slashes and wrapping it up in new bandages.

When he got to her cheek, Yona had to bite her lip to keep from whimpering. It had been stinging for a while, but with the relief of finding Yoon safe and alive, she had been able to forget about it. It was only when Yoon started to wipe away the blood and dirt that she remembered how sore it was.

"Stop friggiting," the boy murmured, his eyes squinting at the still-fresh slashes on her cheek. The werewolf that did this at least didn't strike too deep, the cuts weren't deep. She was lucky. It could have been a lot worse. It the wolf had gone a bit higher, he could of struck her eye.

' _Probably a good thing that other werewolf had shown up when he did,'_  Yoon absently thought as he treated the marks. Yona had told him the whole story of what had happened when they got inside the hut – after he had scolded her. He still didn't understand why he had to be taken out of the picture for the raven-haired brute to talk with the princess, but he was still grateful that the man had saved Yona. She had gotten away with only a couple extra bruises, her leg and a slashed up cheek. It was still bad, but most people came out with way worse and some didn't come back at all.

"Will it scar?" Yona whispered, her eyes closing tight when Yoon's fingers pressed over one of the cuts.

"No," he answered reassuringly, lowering his hands to take some of his home-made medicine, before bringing it up to lightly smear it over her wounded cheek. "It'll clear up eventually, but that could take a while."

Yona slightly nodded, her eyes opening to look back at the wall. She was happy. She didn't want such a visible reminder of what happened to her earlier today. She already had her ankle.

She let Yoon work in silence again, allowing her thoughts to keep her busy. She felt guilty about putting Yoon through all this. He had done nothing but be nice and helpful to her and she got him kidnapped in return. Sure, the werewolf would have set him free, but the boy had been pretty annoyed about the whole thing. She mentally promised herself that when she got back to the Capital she would make it up to him. Repay him somehow.

The princess's eyes wondered around the room behind Yoon. It really was a pretty little flat, nothing compared to her castle, but it was cozy and way cleaner than you'd expect a hut in the forest to look like. He didn't have much laying around though, just a couple baskets of bread, fruit and various herbs. Her gaze stayed on a small pile of extra clothing in the corner. Was that all he had? She wondered again how long Yoon had been living out here alone. He couldn't have been much older than her.

Maybe she could get him to come back to the Capital with her.

She knew that if she told her father how much Yoon had helped her that the emperor would award him richly. She wasn't sure if Yoon would be interested in living in the castle, but if not, maybe she could still have him live close by her. He could be looked after.

A gentle nudge under her chin had Yona jump out of her thoughts, her red-rimmed eyes moving to look back at the male healer.

"Keep your head up, I need to apply ointment here too," he said, spreading some of the medicine on the end of the longest cut that moved down her jawline.

Yona offered a grateful smile before slightly tilting up her chin to give him better access. His hands moved fast, but gentle. A small sigh left her lips at the feeling of the wondrous ointment touched her burning sin.

"Sorry, does it hurt?" Yoon's professional, but worried voice asked. She couldn't up but smile at the sound of it.

"No, it's fine," she insisted and he went back to applying the herbal mix. She really did feel better though. Whatever the medicine was, it was working. It gave off a cold-like burning feeling and Yona almost didn't feel how sore her cheek was anymore. If it worked the same way it had on her ankle yesterday, she was sure she wouldn't feel a thing tomorrow.

Yoon then reached for some bandage material, folding it to easily fit her one cheek, before started to attach it to her. "..there," Yoon nodded, content with his work. "All done, try not to touch on it for a while."

"Thank you.." Yona whispered, watching as the young boy moved to start cleaning up, turning his back to her her.

"A better thank you would be to stop getting yourself into trouble," Yoon muttered with no real heat as he continued to pack up his tools.

The princess let out a guilty laugh as she reached for the damp cloth he had used to clean her and attempting to fold it. It somehow ended up becoming a scrunched up lump, before she lowered it to her lap.

Yoon than gathered the basket of tools and stood up, before walking over to put them back into their respected places. Yona could only watch him nervously.

"….I'm sorry about all the trouble," Yona's eyes lowered to instead stare at the blood stained cloth.  _Her_   _blood_. She saw Yoon shrug in the corner of her eye as he continued.

"It's not like it's the first werewolf to give me any hassle around here."

Yona's head popped up to stare at his back in surprise. "But..I thought you said werewolves don't come here?" She had thought that Hak and his friend were the first to trespass.

"Normally they don't," his voice sounded slightly annoyed. "The legend states that they can't hunt or physically harm anything on these side of the forest, but it doesn't mean that they can't  _step_  on it."

Yona's mouth gaped in understanding. "So then..you have seen other werewolves?"

"A few, but not many," he said in a casual tone. "Most werewolves don't bother with this side because of the story, but it doesn't stop some of those beasts coming by to torment me."

"That must be scary," the princess's voice whispered. How did Yoon ever sleep at night? There was always a chance that one of them could go against the rule.

"More annoying than scary," he countered, sending her a quick side glance. "I know they can't hurt me. Werewolves are many things, but they won't go against their laws."

"But still, I-"

"Don't worry about it," Yoon interrupted, moving over to a bowl of water to wash his sticky hands. "I'm more than used to helping danger-bound people. It's actually a curse."

"Hmm?" Yona blinked confused.

Looking down at her, Yoon said. "Trust me, my old hut-mate was way more troublesome than you are," he continued, rolling his eyes, but Yona caught the fond look in them.

"Yoon.." Yona murmured, her eyes soft.

The boy smiled reassuringly down at her, before turning away from her again. "It's fine, really. Just make sure to get some rest. I don't want to have to cut off that leg if you get it infected."

With that, Yoon went back to cleaning and Yona stayed put watching in silence with a grateful smile. You wouldn't think it by looking at him, but Yoon was brave, at least she thought so. He probably didn't tell her that part of the legend in fear of her becoming more scared to sleep last night.

Her eyes then lowered down to her bandaged ankle. Her dress was ripped up enough for her see it peeking out. She couldn't feel it stinging anymore thanks to the medicine, but she knew better than to go out for a run. She had had enough running to last her a life time. Glancing back up, Yona couldn't help but peek over at the closed door behind her.

Hak and Jae-ha, although had followed them back to the hut, had to remain outside.

It was one thing for them to step on this side of the forest, but the was no way those two beasts were coming inside the hut. At least, that's what Yoon had firmly stated. Yona had tried to change his mind, but was ignored completely before being pushed inside so that the boy could tend to her wounds.

She hoped that they were still sitting out there. When she had ordered Hak to take her back home, he hadn't answered her. Instead, the wolf had smiled at her, before saying that he would walk her back to the hut. At first, Yona was going to argue, noting wanting to drop the conversation until she got a proper answer, but Yoon had stopped her, saying that she should get treated.

She had reluctantly agreed, but kept her eyes on Hak. The four of them then walked back here in silence.

With a quick look back at the still-working Yoon, the princess quietly crawled her way over to the door, slowly cracking it open a tiny bit. Moving closer, Yona peeked outside of it. It had gotten much darker after they got back, the sun having set a while ago, but she was relieved to see that a fire had been made outside the hut.

Her eyes almost instantly found the two werewolves sitting near the fire, only a few feet away from the hut. She couldn't stop the happy smile at the sight of Hak still being here. He was her only hope of getting back home. Although grateful to Yoon, she knew that he wouldn't be able to get them to the border. It was so far away and two humans were sure to get ambushed by werewolves.

She silently watched as the two men sat in silence. Hak was staring into the fire, his expression blank. The green-haired werewolf was closer to her, his body relaxed as he sat cross-legged in front of the fire. He was staring up at the sky, his hands resting over his knees. She still hadn't spoken to him or know his name. She remembered Hak speaking to him, but she had only been focused on Yoon to listen.

"You're awfully quiet" the green werewolf suddenly spoke and Yona almost jumped out her skin. She was about to shamefully open the door fully, but froze when Hak answered.

"Aren't I always?" Hak answered voidly and Yona relaxed. They hadn't noticed her spying after all.

"..Are you really going to help her get over the border?" the stranger werewolf asked softly, his head turning away from the black sky to look over at his friend. ' _They're talking about me._ ' Yona's breath held at the question and she leaned even closer to the door to hear better.

"I don't think I have much choice in that," the raven answered.

"Don't lie to me Hak, you're not good at it," the other laughed and Yona was surprised on how relaxed it sounded. "You could have easily just kept walking," he snickered, referring to earlier.

Hak frowned down at the fire, before turning to look back at the smirking werewolf. "You think I shouldn't?"

The green-head shrugged at the question. "It's not my decision, but I trust you know that Gi-gan won't be thrilled about this."

Yona watched intrigued as Hak let out a nervous chuckle of his own, his hand moving to run through his messy hair. "Trust me, I've thought about that."

"Of cause there is the option of us  _not_  telling her."

Hak raised an eyebrow at his friend. "We both know that she'd find out eventually."

"But at least we get to thrive in the peace a bit longer," the other offered.

"We?"

The werewolf raised his own green brow. "I did help out, didn't I?"

"..Sorry about that," Hak muttered. He wasn't big on apologizing, especially to Jae-ha who loved to rub it in his face, but the wolf didn't need to help him earlier like how he did. Hak honestly didn't expect him too, but he did. That meant that Gi-gan would be punishing both of them.

"Oh don't worry about me," Jae-ha smirked. "That women won't admit it, but she loves me. I think I'm going to get off  _a lot_  easier than you."

"Think so, huh?" Hak allowed a small smirk at him.

Jae-ha grinned right back at him. "I know it," he said, before sighing, his eyes looking back up at the night sky. "oh if only I were a couple years older."

"A couple?"

"Careful there Hak," the green-haired chuckled.

Hak shook his head, an almost invisible grin playing on his lips, before it disappeared.

Yona watched confused as the raven went to look back into the fire, allowing silence to take over once more. Yona's eyebrows furrowed at the knew name. Who was Gi-gan and why was Hak worried about them? She then remembered about Hak talking about his pack leader, how he told her his leader wouldn't approve of them directly speaking to her father so suddenly. She still thought it was a good idea, but she could understand why he refused, at least a little.

"I'm surprised you're taking this so easily." Yona watched as Hak spoke, looking back at the other werewolf.

The green-haired werewolf smiled back at the raven, his eyes closing for a minute. "She's just a girl, Hak," he said.

"She's also a princess."

"True," he said, peeking one eye to smirk at the black-haired werewolf. "And a pretty little one at that." Yona blushed from behind the door at the unexpected compliment.

"You're unbelievable," Hak rolled his eyes at him, before going back to staring at the fire. "I'm being serious here, Jae-ha," Hak frowned

"I can't help it if I'm not blind," the other smirked.

"Did your eyes also notice that she's human?" he muttered.

"I think I was distracted by her red hair."

"Crimson actually," Hak corrected looking back at the other to see him grinning back at him.

"I don't know if I should be amused or hurt?" Jae-ha mused. "Not so long ago you called my hair the color of puke, yet here you are correcting me about a young, human girl's hair."

"Don't think too much into it," Hak smirked. "I just believe in stating the truth."

"That's mean Hak."

Yona watched as the two continued to through words at each other. They seemed close, despite Hak's rudeness. Her eyes moved to the green-haired man. He didn't seem annoyed by Hak's questionable behavior, actually he seemed amused by it. Apparently Hak's attitude was the same for his friends as well as strangers.

A sad smile formed on her lips, her eyes going back to Hak. The green-haired wolf was right, Hak didn't need to help her. He was choosing to and getting nothing out of it. He had already fought another werewolf to protect. He had even been looking for her to make sure she was safe. And all she could do was complain about wanting to go home or cry.

Yona shifted her gaze to the fire in front of her, trying to swallow away the rising guilt. She really was pathetic and selfish. Once she got home, Hak would go back to his pack and judging by the state of the green-head's clothing, they weren't in the best living conditions. Yona had always thought that the werewolves didn't need anything, not like what her own people needed to survive. To be fair though, she had also thought that the werewolves didn't have proper brains either.

"What are you doing?" Yoon asked over her shoulder.

The princess's heart stuttered at the voice, her head snapping behind her to see the boy staring over her with his hands on his hips. "Y-Yoon!"

Yoon's frown deepened in suspicion, but he didn't press her about it, only giving her an unimpressed head shake. Before Yona could try and defend herself, Yoon reached over her and kicked open the door.

Yona's eyes widened, her body suddenly frozen as she stared outside the doorway. Both werewolves had stopped talking to stare just as shocked back at them. Hak's eyes caught Yona's, his eyebrow raising when he caught his composure. She desperately wanted to look away, ashamed of being caught peeping –her body language obviously gave it away, but her shock-formed state forbid it.

"Oi the black-haired wolf," Yoon called over the frozen princess. Hak's eyes moved away from the girl up to the young boy, a frown on his face.

"I have a name," he voiced, his tone low, but not threatening. He just seemed tired.

"Congratulations," Yoon offered, before maneuvering over Yona's laying legs to exit the hut. He then reached down to pick up a wooden bucket that sat near the side of the hut, before handing it over to the taller man. "Make yourself useful and fill this up with water. I need it to start on supper."

Hak took a couple seconds to stare from the boy to the bucket. "Depends," he started and Yoon stared back challengingly up at him. "Do I get some food too?"

Yoon shrugged, still holding the bucket out. "That depends on how quick you come back with the water."

Hak's lips twitched upwards, before taking the offered bucket. "Be right back then," he assured, before turning to the other werewolf. "You coming?"

"Please say yes," Yoon frowned at the other werewolf.

Jae-ha shook his head, his grin returning. "I'm gonna enjoy the fire some more."

Hak nodded, half relieved, before standing up and started to walk deeper into the forest. Yona watched him walk away, her body starting to relax a bit. She jumped slightly when Yoon huffed near her and she watched as he turned back to look at her, obviously ignoring the other werewolf. "I'm going to start chopping up some vegetables, you can nap while you wait?" he offered, his eyes slightly softening.

Yona blinked at the suggestion. She was tired, but she didn't want to go to sleep just yet. "That's alright, I can wait," she smiled.

"Supper might take a while, you sure?" Yoon warned.

Shaking her head, the princess then stole a glance from behind the standing boy. "I think I'd like to sit by the fire too, if that's okay?" she finished, looking up at the boy. She watched as Yoon shot a look back at the werewolf, his body tensing.

"I don't think-"

"Oh, let the girl do as she pleases Yoon," Jae-ha pitched in, grinning at the two humans. "I'll be sure to look after her."

' _You're the thing I want her protected from,'_ Yoon thought, frowning.

"It's really okay, Yoon," the princess smiled wider, already trying to stand up. She heard him mumble something, but couldn't make out what he actually said, before she felt him move to help her.

"Fine, but I'm leaving the door open to watch you," he said and Yona knew he said it loud enough so the werewolf would hear it.

"Why not join us?" Jae-ha asked as he watched Yoon help the princess to sit outside, near the fire and a good few feet away from him.

"I don't think I could stomach being close to you any more than I already have," Yoon shot at the green-head, earning an amused chuckle. "I don't know how she can do it."

"Feels like every male creature today is intent on being nasty to me."

"I can be nastier!"

Yona shifted once she was sitting on the ground, her body warming up wonderfully thanks to the fire. She send a thankful smile to Yoon who seemed reluctant to leave, but eventually went back inside the hut and as promised, left the door wide open.

The werewolf's laughter subsided and Yona turned to look back at droopy purple eyes. Yona stiffened at the curious look he was giving her. She forced herself to relax, reminding herself that he was like Hak and wasn't a threat to her. When he didn't say anything, the princess took the time to examine him. She couldn't tell much from the dim light, but she could see some. Like Hak, this man also had the wolfish ears that stuck out on top of his head. She couldn't see any canines with his mouth closed and she was sort of relieved. To try and calm herself, Yona tried to not look for any wolf-like features and tried to look at him like a normal man. He was admittedly good looking and Yona had to wonder if all werewolves were. Her mind suddenly flashed back to the werewolf from early and she shoved that assumption away.

"You alright?" she heard him say and Yona's eyes flew up to look back into his seemingly glowing ones. He was smiling at her, she noticed. Not a smirk or cheeky grin like what he had given to Hak earlier, but a hesitant smile. "You seem tense," he continued when she didn't answer. "I must apologize if I frighten you."

Yona blinked, her brain wracking itself for something to say. This would be the second werewolf she'd have a proper conversation with. "No-no, I'm sorry if I was staring, I was just...um.."

Jae-ha's smile brightened at her loss for words. "It's okay, I understand the fascination entirely," he said. "You're quite distracting yourself."

The princess slowly smiled back thankfully at him. She was kind of surprised at how nice he seemed. "I'm Yona," she introduced herself and was pleased with the surprised smile she got in return.

"Jae-ha," the werewolf stated, bowing his head at her. "It's a pleasure princess."

"Oh you don't have to call me that," Yona hurriedly said, her eyes widening slightly. She knew Hak had said that his pack held nothing against humans, but she didn't want to risk insulting them by making them think she held herself higher then them. Hak, she could argue with, but she wanted this nicely mannered wolf to like her.

"But aren't I meant to?" Jae-ha's smile turned cheeky. "I am after all, 'part of this kingdom' too." His words reminded Yona of what she had said/yelled to Hak and she stuttered out her next words.

"O-of cause you are! I d-didn't mean-"

Jae-ha chuckled at her flushed face, stopping her jumbled word play. "I know what you meant," he winked at her and Yona's blush deepened. "I was surprised to hear those words from a human though," he continued, his eyes moving to the fire, his smile softening.

Yona didn't look away from him, despite feeling like she was interrupting a personal moment. He didn't seem to mind her eyes though, his body relaxed.

"I think Hak was a bit shocked too," Jae-ha whispered, glancing back at her, grinning when she held his gaze. "You even yelled at him. There aren't many who are brave enough to do that you know. I'm impressed."

The princess couldn't help the small, proud smile to grace her lips. "Hak's not that scary after you've seen him stuff his face full of pastries." Her smile widened when that statement earned a delighted chuckle from him.

"You should see him scarf down deer," Jae-ha snickered.

Yona grimaced at the thought. "I think I'll pass on that offer."

"Good choice, it wasn't the most attractive thing he's ever done," Jae-ha smiled and Yona giggled.

She felt bad for laughing over Hak, but he had done his fair share of insulting her, maybe this was a fair way of getting him back.

"..So you're the human that stole my friends heart?" Jae-ha hummed, his eyes on her small frame when it grew quiet. "I can see the attraction. I'm a bit jealous."

Yona rolled her eyes at the remark. By the tone of his voice, she knew he was only joking. If was anyone else, she might get defensive, but she liked this werewolf – a strange experience.

"I don't think we'd fit together," Yona tried to joke back. There was only one man in her life anyway.

The green-haired wolf smirked back at her. "What a shame, but promise me you'll let the guy down gently. He doesn't look like it, but he's a big softy at heart."

"I'll take your word for it, Jae-ha," Yona smiled, trying out the name. It suited him, especially when he smirked. The wolf seemed to like it too, if the smile he gave her was any clue.

Yona's hands twiddled with the ripped parts of her sleeves as she thought about her next words. "Um, Jae-ha?" she said his name again and watched as the green-head hummed his attention to her.

"Hoping I'll handle the dirty work of telling Hak the bad news?" Jae-ha smirked, his purple eyes flashing at her amusingly.

"N-no," Yona bit her bottom lip. "Actually..um, I just wanted to thank you."

The green wolf's smirk faded in confusion. "For what?" he asked softly.

"You helped Hak look for me and if he didn't find me, I wouldn't know what I know right now," the princess gently smiled. "I also probably wouldn't be able to get back home either, so..I-um..thank you Jae-ha."

Jae-ha's expression was one she couldn't understand, but he slowly allowed a smile to form. "I can't say I did much, it's Hak that helped you."

"I still feel grateful," she said honestly. "You didn't have to, neither did Hak, but you did."

Jae-ha shook his head, his smile widening in surprise. "I have no right to say it, but you're very welcome."

"You have plenty," Yona smiled sadly. "I just wish I could help you."

"You helped keep me company," the werewolf's smooth voice said. "You're a lovely companion."

Yona huffed out a small laugh, her eyes finding his droopy ones. "I meant your people," said surprising the werewolf. "How am I supposed to go back home, knowing that I didn't return the favor?"

"How interesting," Jae-ha murmured. "I didn't expect a princess to be so concerned about outsiders."

"I'm pretty selfish actually," Yona frowned, avoiding his gaze. "I just..I don't think it's fair to leave all of you like this. Not after how you've helped me."

When she looked up again, she found the green-haired wolf smiling sadly at her.

"Jae-ha?" Yona voiced, concerned she had somehow insulted him.

"I'm just surprised," he reassured, noticing the worried look she wore. "Believe me, I'm touched that you feel that way, but I think Hak is the better person to talk about this with."

The princess's hands clenched into her dress's fabric. "I tried, I offered to talk to my father with him, to ask for a peace, but...he said it wouldn't work."

Jae-ha nodded in understanding. "Ah yes, I doubt our dear leader would be happy out that plan. It is a bit risky."

"I know.." Yona mumbled. "but if he could just explain to her."

"Gi-gan isn't the type you can easily reason with," Jae-ha smiled at her. "Besides Hak isn't the best choice to have argue with Gi-gan. They might end up killing each other."

Yona's eyes suddenly widened, her body straightening to look back at the werewolf. "Gi-gan..."

"Yeah, I'd probably vote on her winning that fight too."

"No," Yona suddenly smiled, and Jae-ha watched confused as she startled to scramble to her feet.

"Um, I don't think you should be stand-"

"Shh," Yona smiled brightly at him and Jae-ha's eyes widened in interest, before shooting a glance at the hut. Yoon was focused on chopping up a strange vegetable, completely ignorant to what was happening outside. The green-haired man shook his head at the busy boy, a smirk playing on his lips. He could have easily kidnapped the girl and Yoon wouldn't have noticed a thing.

A quiet huff brought his attention back to the now standing princess. Jae-ha watched with interest at the suddenly one-legged hopping the princess was doing. She was definitely cute for a human girl, he'd admit that. His eyebrow raised however, when she bent over to pick up a large stick, using it to steady herself.

"Going somewhere, princess Yona?"

When she turned to face him, she was smiling confidently. "I need to find Hak, I won't be long."

"Do you even know where the river is?" Jae-ha asked, a bit skeptical. Should he be allowing this?

"I'll just walk in the direction he went in until I run into him. I promise not to go too far," she whispered already headed in that direction. "He's probably already on his way back."

"Yoon-boy won't be too happy about this.." Jae-ha whispered back despite the alarms going off in his head.

"He won't even notice I'm gone," she replied softly.

"He could look out the door," Jae-ha said, looking back to the door. Still busy…

"Please, Jae-ha," he found the princess's pretty, big eyes looking back at him, her body slightly turned towards him. He couldn't say no to that face, he was a lady's man.

"...just be careful princess, I'd hate to face Yoon and Hak if something happened to you," Jae-ha sighed, accepting defeat. He couldn't help the satisfying feeling when she received another pretty smile form the royal though, before she started to move again.

He watched her limp an extra few feet, before stopping and suddenly looking back at him again.

' _She changed her mind?_ ' the green-head wondered.

"You really don't have to call me princess," she still whispered, but Jae-ha's ears still caught it, twitching at the voice. "I wouldn't mind Yona," she smiled bashfully, before quickly turning around to find Hak.

Jae-ha watched her go with an amused smile, his chest vibrating with soft laughter. She really was a cute little thing.

His thoughts were interrupted though when he heard footsteps behind him.

"Where's Yona?"

Jae-ha turned to grin back at the glaring young boy, before answering. Figures the human would only come out after the girl left. "I'm afraid our little princess has run off. Feisty little thing, I didn't stand a chance at stopping her."

The frustrated yelling that followed had the werewolf worry about the little healer's blood pressure.

* * *

Hak tried to keep his mind blank as he walked back towards direction of the hut, the full bucket of water in his hand. He didn't want to think about the mess he had gotten himself into, just because he couldn't come up with a better lie to tell the princess.

In retrospect, he shouldn't have lied in the first place. If he was half the man he thought he was, he would have dragged the sobbing princess back to his pack and let Gi-gan do what she wanted with her, but nope, not this handsome werewolf. He had to let guilt – that he shouldn't have been feeling in the first place – take over his better judgment and have him come up with a lie that made him seem like a good guy to the little princess.

The black-haired werewolf shook his head, when he realized he was thinking about her again. What was wrong with him?

His steps grew quicker. The faster he got back, the faster he could get away from his thoughts. He'd let Jae-ha talk his ear off for the rest of the night and then he'd get the princess over the border in the morning. When that was over, he'd be free.

The werewolf froze in his steps when he heard a yelp of pain not too far off. ' _Princess.'_

Hak let go of the bucket, it hitting the ground, some of the water spilling out. Without further thought, the werewolf ran in the direction he heard the voice, sniffing the air in vain for any scent. He knew by now that she didn't have one.

It wasn't long before he found her. Hak stopped to look down at the ruffled princess. She had fallen on her bottom, her head raising to meet his gaze. He wouldn't of asked how she got here, but he then spied the large stick laying on the ground next to her.

"Hak!" Yona smiled up at him and the werewolf worked hard not to let on how rapid his heart was beating.

"Idiot, I thought you were in danger,  _again,_ " Hak growled, before trying to get his breathing sorted out. When would his bad luck end?

The princess frowned up at him, not attempting to pull herself up yet. "I'm barely out of Yoon's yard, I don't think I'll get caught by a werewolf tonight."

" _I_  found you," Hak frowned down at her.

"You aren't going to hurt me," the princess pouted. Hak almost laughed at that. Just a few hours ago she had been shivering in fear in front of him...now she was giving him attitude.

"Is there a reason your out here by yourself, princess?" Hak asked, his voice tired.

"I was looking for you," she replied, her pout disappearing to bite on her lower lip.

Hak's eyebrow raised at the action. "You sure are getting attached to me, princess."

Yona glared up at him, but decided to let it go, allowing the male to smirk down at her. "Can you please help me up?" she whispered, ignoring his smirk.

"What's the point? You'd still be short."

The royal's face flushed at the remark and she turned to look away from him.

Hak let out a small chuckle, before coming closer to her to help her stand. "Calm down, I'm coming." He laughed again when the princess looked back at him, her pout back on her lips. She flushed more at the sound, but allowed him to help her up. Hak also reached down to grab her walking stick, handing it to her when she was steady enough.

"Thank you," Yona mumbled, her hands gripping the wood tightly, wincing when her ankle had moved.

Hak shook his head, before looking down at her properly. His eyes landed on her now-plastered cheek. He could see one claw mark peeking out along her jawline and underneath the bandage material. "Good to see Yoon took care of that," he said out loud, his eyes staying glued to her cheek, his hand twitched to check it himself, but he ignored it. That would be weird.

Yona's hand came into view when she traced the material covering her wound. "Yes, it doesn't even hurt that much anymore with the medicine he gave me," she smiled up at him. "Yoon said that it wouldn't even scar."

"Thank goodness," Hak said. "Your looks have been though enough lately," he finished, his tone an overly worried one. The werewolf then smirked at the annoyed look the princess gave him.

"You're hilarious," she muttered sarcastically.

"I'm so glad my princess enjoys my sense of humor."

"She'd like it more if you stayed quiet once in a while," Yona sighed and Hak laughed. "Hak," she pleaded and he tried to muffle his laughter. With another annoyed huff, the princess crossed her arms the best she could. "Forget it, I'll try and talk to you in the morning," she said moving to turn, but Hak stopped her, a smirk still playing on his lips.

"I'm listening," he assured, lowering his hand away from her. "What is it that was so important that you couldn't wait for me to come back?"

"I wanted to talk with you alone," Yona stared, her body relaxing at his tone returning to normal.

"Does Yoon know you're out here?" Hak asked suspiciously and sighed out in frustration when she shook her head. "Where was Jae-ha? Why didn't he stop you?"

"He said it was fine, as long as I was careful," Yona defended and Hak was shocked to here that she had actually talked to the green-haired werewolf. Another annoyed thought passed him when he realized that Jae-ha had allowed her to go. And he calls him un-responsible…

"Alright," the raven sighed. "What did you need to tell me?"

"..Its about what we talked about earlier?" Yona started and continued at the confused look Hak gave her. "You know about talking to my father about a peace treaty?"

"Princess, we've been over this," Hak's hand pressed against his neck. "It's not going to happen, my leader-"

"Won't go for it, I understand, but maybe if someone were to reason with her-"

"I can't," the werewolf frowned, his hand lowering as he stared down at the small girl. "She won't listen to me anyway." Why couldn't he have picked a better lie?

"I know...I.." Yona hesitated and Hak's eyebrows furrowed. "I was actually thinking that maybe...I could talk to her.."

Yona continued to speak, but Hak's brain shut off to picture the crimson-haired princess standing in front of his Gi-gan, her mouth opening to start a peace-related conversation, but then the pack leader rushed at her, claws bared and-

Hak ended the image before he could see how it ended. He had a pretty good guess anyway.

"So?" Yona asked, her voice hopeful, bringing Hak back to Earth.

"No," Hak answered, his own voice stern and strong, before turning around to fetch the water bucket. It couldn't be too far off, right?

Yona's stayed put in surprise at his short and swift answer, before rapidly blinking and limping off after him. He didn't move to fast, apparently wanting her to follow and Yona understood that he still thought she might get into trouble if she was alone.

"Why not?" Yona huffed out, her eyes glaring at the tall man's broad back. "You won't talk to my father, but maybe I can convince your pack leader to come back with me and -"

"No," he repeated.

"Please Hak, if you'd just listen to me-"

"I said no princess, I'd drop it if I were you," Hak tried to sound menacing, but it ended up coming out more like a plea.

"Don't you want to help your people?" Hak tried to ignore her small voice. "If you just let me try.."

"Look princess," Hak sighed, turning to look at her when she trailed off. "I appreciate the thought, but you really shouldn't worry about that. My pack will be fine. I'm watching out for them."

"That isn't very helpful," Yona pouted and Hak sighed, before walking to stand closer to her again. She watched him, but didn't flinch or back up. It was stupid, but he didn't think he would ever get used to that. Not that he would see her again anyway, so he'd try and enjoy it why he could. Did he really just think that?

"Princess.." the werewolf voiced, when she avoided looking back up at him. Sighing, the wolf rubbed at his neck. "I know you're trying to help and that's great – surprising – but great. He caught her angry huff. "Look," he said, but she still refused to look at him. Frustrating little human isn't she? "Princess...I'm going to get you home. First thing tomorrow morning, I'll help you get over the border and you can pretend none of this ever happened, okay?"

"I could help," Yona whispered, still avoiding his eyes.

"Thanks princess," Hak said softly and offered a small smile when her eyes peeked up at him. "I mean it. It's nice to have a human worry about our kind, but we don't need it."

"Hak.." she breathed, turning to look fully up at him and the werewolf hesitated, before lowering his hand to rest on her tiny shoulder. She didn't flinch.

"Don't worry about us," he insisted, his blue eyes connecting with her purple ones to try and get her to understand him. "We'll be okay."

Yona's cheeks puffed out a bit, apparently trying to hold back her words as she looked away from him again. Hak almost grabbed her chin to keep her in place so that he could continue staring at her.  _Bad_  thoughts, best to ignore them.

Retracting his large hand from her dainty form, Hak cleared his throat. "Anyway, help me find Yoon's bucket."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 14 done and dusted!
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy! Please let me know what you think!
> 
> Thanks for reading and all the lovely reviews I received from the previous chapters!


	16. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yona goes forward with her plan with or without Hak.

Yoon frowned over at the currently sulking princess a couple feet away from him. He was sitting outside the hut, busy fixing up one of his woven baskets, it having been a bit ruffed up. Yona was poking the remnants of firewood with a stick she had found earlier that morning.

The boy didn't need to guess why she was in a mood, he knew exactly what was bothering her. After waiting anxiously with Jae-ha for the missing princess to return last night, Yoon had been about to go off and find her himself, when the girl and that dark-haired wolf eventually popped up.

After some _well deserved_  scolding and a  _fair_  amount of yelling, Yoon had finished their supper and they ate in complete and utter silence, only being interrupted by some stupid remarks from Jae-ha regarding the tense atmosphere. Yoon had wanted to cook him next.

It was only later that night, when the two humans were safely inside and about to go to sleep when Yona confessed why she had run off after the other werewolf. Yoon had patiently listened to her story, his confusion and surprise only rising the longer she went. When she finished, the boy hadn't known what to say and the two had in the end just gone to sleep.

They had been rudely woken up just as the sun was rising the following morning, due to obnoxious knocking on the hut's door. Apparently the two werewolves had to head back to their pack. There had been some howling last night and Jae-ha had explained that they were being called back. Yona had been upset when the duo left, only getting more sulky the longer the day went on.

The dark-haired wolf – what was his name – had promised to be back later tonight to help get her to the border. That left Yoon and the princess to occupy themselves while they waited. Yoon, for one, had plenty of things to do to keep him busy, but his patience was starting to wear thin with the sour mood his guest was in.

"Poking that pit isn't going to make it light up again, you know," Yoon frowned at the pouting princess, his hands still working on the basket.

What he got in return was a small sigh, before the princess gently lowered the stick to the ground, her hands retreating to her lap. She didn't look back at him.

With a sigh, Yoon set down the basket and lifted himself off the ground, dusting off his old pants. "Look, I know you're upset, but believe me. It's probably for the best that that wolf turned down your offer."

The princess finally turned to look back at him, her shoulders slumping. "I just don't understand why Hak won't let me help."

Ah, 'Hak', that was his name. He kept forgetting it.

"Consider it a blessing," Yoon shrugged down at her. "A wolf pack isn't exactly the best place for a human – let alone a princess."

"But they wouldn't hurt me," the princess argued back. "Hak said that his pack wanted to live peacefully with humans."

Yoon raised an eyebrow at that fact. "Huh..last time I was there, they didn't really give off that vibe.." he trailed off, his mind going back to that time. He remembered that the pack leader – an old male wolf that he couldn't remember the name of – was kind enough to him and Ik-soo, but to be fair, him and his old hut-mate couldn't really be included with the other humans. He also remembered how some of the pack members would snarl at them whenever they entered their lands. Luckily, they weren't allowed to attack them, but it didn't make Yoon feel comfortable enough to ever go there without the older blond human.

"Well, Hak said that-" Yona's eyes grew wide and suddenly she was struggling to stand up, Yoon having to push gently on her shoulders to keep her sitting.

"H-hey! Calm down will you? Your leg still needs-"

"You've been to Hak's pack Yoon?" Yona's excited voice asked, her hands gripping onto his arms to help steady herself as she fought his attempt at keeping her down. "You never told me that! How did you even find it? Are you in contact with them? So this  _must_ mean that they really do want to live with us!"

The young boy bit his lip as he struggled to keep her still, while the princess continued talking.

"No wonder you were able to survive out here for so long!"

"Yona.." Yoon sighed.

"Did they help you? How come you didn't know Hak or Jae-ha? Haven't you been to the pack in a while?"

"Uh, Yona-"

"What's the pack like? Do they live in huts like you do?"

"Princess-"

"Were they the ones that told you and your friend about this place and all the legends?"

"Yona!"

The princess's mouth finally shut closed and Yoon let out a relieved sigh when her struggles stopped too. His hands retracted from their hold on her shoulders and he frowned as he looked down at the big, excited eyes looked up at him.

"It's not what you think, okay?" Yoon's now-quiet voice said, his shoulders slumping when she gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean? Haven't you been there?"

The boy's hand reach up to rub at his cheek, his eyes moving to look out at the forest instead of the girl below. Him and his big mouth, how was he supposed to explain this. "Look, I have been to the pack, years ago, but I always went with Ik-Soo. I think it was probably only twice too."

When he looked down again, he found Yona smiling.

"Don't get any wrong ideas," Yoon ordered, his body turning to reach for the basket again. "It's not like we were there to visit or anything. I never considered any of them friends."

"Then...why did you go?" Yona's confused voice asked behind him.

Yoon froze at her question and he mentally kicked himself for giving her the opening. "I guess you could call it..business," he grimaced at the word.

"Business?"

"Yip," the pretty boy genius pretended to examine the basket. "Uh..it was more for Ik-Soo, I just sort of tagged along."

He got no reply and after a minute, Yoon was happy to believe that the conversation was over. Placing the basket under his arm to balance it, the boy turned to head for his hut's door. "Okay, so I think I'm gonna get breakfast started. How do feel about fried fish-"

"Could you take me to the wolf pack?"

The sudden question almost had the little host trip over his feet, his hands shaking to keep the basket from falling.

"Excuse me?" he said as he shot his head to the side to look back at her. He was almost sure he had misheard her. The princess hadn't moved from her spot on the ground, but her eyes were set on him. She at least had the decency to press her lips together nervously as she looked back at him.

"Can you please take me to see the pack leader?" Yona asked, her voice a little stronger this time.

"..Are you insane?" Yoon almost spat, his hands gripping into the basket. "Didn't Hak just tell you that you couldn't?"

Yona sat up straighter at the question, her cheeks flushing in determination. "I know, but I think he just doesn't want to trouble me. He's got this attitude that I won't be able to help or something."

"Maybe you should listen to him, he probably knows more about this war than you do."

"That's only because I didn't understand, but now I do!" she insisted and Yoon frowned.

She  _thinks_  she understands.

"Yona..I can't just bring humans onto their territory," he sighed. "Do you even know what you're going to say when you meet the leader?"

Yona's mouth opened, ready to speak, but she seemed to hesitate at the last minute. Yoon didn't need to hear any more. Good intentions or not, she was still a little princess. He was sure that she had never even thought about political problems before, let alone the outcome of the war.

Before Yoon could turn back again though, Yona's quiet voice stopped him.

"Please."

"Yona-"

"I don't know why, but I feel like I  _have_  to do this," she interrupted, her narrowed eyes finding his once more. "How am I supposed to go back home and know that innocent people – people that helped me – are still suffering.."

Suddenly the prophecy, that dream, came flooding back to Yoon and his eyes grew wider as he stared back at the small, beaten princess. What if this was the path that she was meant to take? What if this was the role that  _he_  was meant to take?

Ik-Soo hadn't been much help in making him understand the dream, only saying that he would know his part to play when the time came. Yoon had always figured that the older man hadn't actually known anything either, but looking down at the determined girl, whom he was sure had to be the chosen one, Yoon found himself thinking that maybe this was it.

And one way or another, how was supposed to go against destiny?

"Okay."

When Yona's desperate expression turned into a determined smile, Yoon could only hope that he hadn't just made a huge mistake.

* * *

"I could walk on my own you know?" Yona said, but kept her voice from sounding too complaining. After convincing him to help her, the princess was trying to keep from annoying him. She and Yoon were steadily walking down a narrow path through the forest, the princess's arm slung over the boy's shoulder.

"The last time you walked on your own, you almost lost your leg," Yoon shot her request down. He may have been exaggerating a bit, but his point was made. He didn't need her leg to get worse than it already was after all.

"I could use a stick," she suggested hope-filled. It wasn't that she wasn't grateful for the help, but Yoon was not Hak. She was fairly sure that she and him had more of less the same upper body strength. Even though he wasn't complaining, Yona still felt bad for that fact that he was supporting most of her weight..not that she was heavy or anything.

"Your doctor said no, now obey."

The order in his voice left no room for arguments and the princess only nodded her defeat, the two continuing their long walk.

"Should we be worried about other werewolves?" Yona later asked softly, her eyes looking around her as they walked. She hadn't really thought that part through, but Yoon hadn't seemed to be worried about it.

"The path we're taking is one Ik-Soo and myself took every time we visited the pack. He walked it alone a lot more than I did and not once did he get attacked."

"Oh, is it like how your home is sacred?"

"The lands are connected," Yoon nodded, his eyes set forward. "I'm confident we won't see any more of those beasts."

Yona hummed at that. "But, we saw Hak and Jae-ha back at your hut."

"Those two are special cases," Yoon frowned and he heard Yona giggle in response. He really wasn't worried about seeing any werewolves. What he was concerned about was being spotted by one of the nastier wolves when they reached the pack. Good pack or not, he didn't entirely trust them. Even when he was brought along to the tribe years ago, he hadn't let his guard down. The only one he could probably trust was the pack leader and he wasn't even sure if that old wolf was still alive.

"Hey Yoon?"

The boy hummed his attention.

"Thank you again for this, I really will pay you back," Yona promised. As she peeked over at the boy, the princess wondered if now was a good time to ask if he'd be interested in returning to the Capital with her.

"Don't mention it," the boy blushed slightly as he walked them further down the path. "Just make sure that when that werewolf friend of yours finds us, he knows this was all your idea."

"Got it!" Yona grinned, not worried one bit about how Hak would take it.

The rest of the walk was mostly quiet. Despite Yoon's reassurance, Yona still found herself scanning all the trees for any werewolves. Why hadn't she been scared last night when she was alone and looking for Hak? Although to be fair, she hadn't made it very far away from Yoon's yard when she did find the raven-haired wolf. Too bad she wasn't feeling as confident as she had been last night though. That didn't mean she wanted to turn back though, if anything she wished they were there already.

When Yoon finally stopped them, Yona had been sure that they had been walking for hours, but the boy assured her that it wasn't even half day yet – which, in Yona's experience, was still a pretty far way to walk. That thought was kept to herself though.

"Um...where's the pack?" Yona's eyebrows furrowed as she looked around at the trees around them.

"Right passed those bushes over there," Yoon pointed ahead of them, but gripped harder on the girl's waist when she tried to move forward.

"What is it?" Yona look at him confusingly.

"Are you sure you want to do this, if we go in there, there's no turning back," Yoon warned tiredly. To be honest, he didn't think they could turn back now. He was pretty sure that their scent would have been picked up by at least one of the werewolves, but he asked anyway. Maybe there was still a tiny chance that they could leave.

"Yoon, you're not backing out now are you?" the princess whined, her shoulders slumping at the very thought. "We walked all this way, we can't just not go in."

He should of known that her will wouldn't be so easily shaken. If anything, she was definitely stubbern.

With a shaky sigh, Yoon nodded, ignoring the way the crimson-haired girl's face lit up at the surrender. Straightening up, Yoon proceeded to help Yona walk towards the bushes. He wanted to point out how her body tensed as they got closer, but it wasn't like he could talk. He was just as on edge.

The hand that wasn't supporting Yona, reaching out to push away some of the bush, allowing the two humans a clear view of the largely based home of the werewolves.

The princess gasped silently at the look of it. It hadn't been what she had been expecting at all. Her mind had been filled with caves and stacks of dead animal bones, but given how Hak and Jae-ha had so easily adapted to Yoon's hut, she probably should have seen this coming.

Hak's home seemed more of a poorly established village than anything else. There were small, old hut's not too unlike Yoon's scattered around the area, but there was plenty of room between them. Each hut looked similar, but all of them were also pretty badly held up. There was even one that looked like it had gone through a tornado, the roof caving in and cracked. There were no bones that the princess could see, but there was a few animal carcasses hanging up on some sort of wooden rack, some laying on the ground. Yona turned away from the dead animals quickly when she spotted the ugly, bloody gashes they sported. The image Jae-ha had explained about Hak ripping into a deer suddenly flashed through her mind and Yona couldn't stop the grimace she made.

Her focus was then back to scanning the new area and Yona found herself wondering where the werewolves were. Apparently, Yoon had been thinking the same thing.

"The place looks empty," Yoon voiced quietly and Yona realized that he didn't want to be over heard.

"Are you sure this is the right pack?" Yona whispered back. "They could have moved away." As she said it, she knew it wasn't true. If nobody lived here, why were there fresh animals down there?

"I doubt they would leave their home, werewolves are very territorial."

"..Maybe they're still sleeping?"

"At this hour?" Yoon frowned.

"Hak likes to sleep in?"

"You can't base your knowledge on werewolves according to everything that wolf does," Yoon sighed, catching the embarrassed pout the princess gave in return. Turning back to the sight below him, Yoon's mind raced with options on what to do next. Should they just stroll on into the werewolves territory? If they could find an elder wolf, Yoon may be able to explain their situation...but if they were found by someone else..

"Are we going to go in?" Yona asked, her voice shaky, but determined.

"I.." Yoon's eyebrows furrowed. He really wasn't sure what to do here. Once again, he wondered if what he was doing was really supposed to happen? Was he really meant to be letting this princess stumble into the home of her possible enemy?

What if she got killed?

"Yoon?" the princess's hand rested on his stiff shoulder and Yoon blinked back into the present. When he met her eyes, he found her staring worriedly back at him. "Are you alright? If this is too scary, I can go alone?"

It took a moment for the words to process, before Yoon shook his head in refusal and then offered a reassured smile.

"I'll go in first."

"What?" Yona's eyes widened at the declaration. "W-what do you mean fir-"

"Just as a precorsion," Yoon said as he repositioned the princess to sit on the floor, so he could leave her.

"But, that wasn't our plan," Yona argued, though didn't fight Yoon from setting her down. "I still need to talk with the-"

"The leader, I know," Yoon nodded, standing up straight, now not needing to support the princess anymore. "And you will, but I just want to make sure it's safe first. As soon as I do, I'll come get you."

"It is safe though," Yona frowned – more like pouted and Yoon decided to just ignore it and instead turned to start walking down the slope.

"Try to keep quiet while I'm gone," he voiced back softly. He had a plan now, it may not be much of one, but it had to be better than just letting the princess walk blindly into the pack. He would scout out the pack leader, who hopefully would know who he was and than wouldn't eat him. Then he'd explain the situation and hope that the wolf would allow Yona to speak with her...and than more importantly, let Yona leave unharmed.

He only got about half way down, when a sudden  _yelp_ sounded from behind him and his blood went cold. Swerving around to look behind him, Yoon's panicked eyes tried to find the girl he had left behind. "Yona!?"

"Don't worry about her."

The boy froze in his place at the new voice and he slowly willed himself to look over his shoulder, only to find a werewolf smirking back at him.

"You'll be joining her."

"!"

* * *

"Hak, this is rediculous. Let's just go in," Jae-ha yawned, his body leaning against a tree, arms crossed.

A few feet away from the green-haired werewolf was Hak. The raven was currently pacing back and forth, occationally stopping to glare out towards the pack ahead of them. He didn't bother to answer the other man, only continuing with his little reutine.

"Hak, you're going to permantly dent the ground," Jae-ha tried again and Hak finally directed his eyes to him.

"I'm just trying to get my story straight."

"What's there to think about?" The half-breed murmured, trying to stifle another yawn. "We agreed to tell Gi-gan that you were unsuccessful in finding the princess alive, but instead finding her being torn apart by Niogi. Seems pretty solid to me."

"It's not that simple," Hak frowned, clawed hands working through his messy hair. "It's Gi-gan, she'll want specifics. She'll ask questions."

"You're thinking too much into this."

"And you're way too calm."

Jae-ha sighed when Hak went back to his pacing, the green-head only giving him a few minutes of this, before he moved away from his trunk and went to stand closer to the agitated wolf.

"Hak," Jae-ha tried, his head following the man as he paced left to right. "I think you need to give this idea a bit more credit, it's very likely that the princess would have been found and killed off by one of the other pack members. Even Gi-gan can't say anything against unfortunate, but realistic circomstances. I'm still surprised the human girl lasted this long."

Hak gave off a defeated grunt at the words, his feet stomping to a halt, facing away from the other pack-member. He knew Jae-ha was right. If he could tell his lie without giving anything away, Gi-gan would believe him and he'd be able to get the princess home without having to worry about his pack (at least not as much, there was still the chance of one of the members spotting him). The real issue was that if Hak hadn't failed his mission they wouldn't be in this whole mess, they'd still have a plan. Right now, Gi-gan was holding on to the value of the princess – probably wanting to use her as ransom or something, but Hak was going against it. For whatever reason, guilt, weakness, he was ruining their last shot and for what? Some human girl he sort of – maybe – kinda got a bit attached to?

How was he supposed to go back to his pack and lie to everyone, just to help a human princess get back home? He really was pathetic.

Yet, as he stood there, a couple meters away from his home, Hak knew he wouldn't go back against his promise to the princess. It never crossed his mind to go that route. He really was an idiot.

"Are you done panicking?" Jae-ha's voice drew Hak's attention back and the raven let out a heavy breath, before turning to look at his friend. He guessed it was no or never.

"Might as well get this over with," Hak nodded.

"Wonderful!" Jae-ha grinned, turning towards the direction of the pack. It was still a wonder to Hak how easily his friend was taking all of this. "Oh, don't forget the deer!"

"I already told you, I'm not giving Gi-gan a peace treaty," the raven rolled his eyes and started to walk to the pack, passing the now pouting green-head.

After leaving the two humans earlier, Jae-ha had paused their journey in favor of hunting down Gi-gan's favorite animal, saying that she might go a bit easier on Hak if he gave it to her. Now Hak was nervous about letting down the pack leader again, but he isn't so pitiful to need to over fresh meat and beg for forgiveness. Nope, he needed to hold on to any scarp of self-dignity he had left.

It didn't stop Jae-ha from picking up the bloody corpse though.

* * *

Yona wasn't sure where she was at first, all she knew was that everything around her was blurry and she that she had been asleep – or at least felt like it. She heard muffled voices, but they sounded too far away to make out. They sounded angry though.

After a few seconds of gathering her thoughts, Yona forced her heavy eyelids to blink away the blurriness and suddenly she was in a very shabby-looking room. She would have take in the area a bit more and possibly begin to panic, but the sound of a familiar voice stopped her.

"You morons! Don't you have any idea who I am!?"

Yona was quick to pull her upper body up, resting her weight on her arms to see Yoon standing tight fist in front of her, but she didn't keep her attention on him for long. Ahead of Yoon and blocking the open doorway behind them were two men, one blond and the other darker haired.

Yona didn't even need to look for any wolfish features to know that the men were werewolves. She remembered them from from before, a few days ago when she had still been running for her life. It was that time when she had found out Hak was a werewolf, these were the two wolves who were talking with him.

They were part of Hak's pack.

Suddenly Yona remembered what had happened earlier that morning. She had somehow got Yoon to take her to Hak's pack, she had wanted to speak with the leader. They had gotten close, when Yoon said he wanted to go in first. She had still been watching grumpily as Yoon made his way down to the pack when she had apparently been ambushed by a dark figure.

The young princess felt her face heat up in embarrassment when she realized that she must have fainted. How was she supposed to talk peace with a wolf pack leader when she couldn't even stop from fainting at the sight of an ordinary werewolf?

"All we need to know is that you are a human and you're in our territory," the dark-haired werewolf replied, his tone serious and void of emotion. He wasn't very big – not like Hak or Jae-ha, but he still managed to be intimidating.

"You're either really brave or really dumb," the blond commented, his tan arms crossed behind his head as he stared curiously at Yoon.

Compared to his friend, this wolf wasn't so scary looking, yes he had the jagged claws and he was just as dirty and savage looking, but he didn't have the same threatening aura, at least that's what Yona thought. Of cause she would never overlook him. The princess was sure that he'd be just as dangerous as any werewolf when he wanted to be, maybe since they were just humans that the blond had his guard down.

"And you two are going to regret this!" Yoon seethed again and Yona was surprised to see him not freaking out. Well, he did say that he had been to the pack before...maybe he was used to dealing with werewolves, after all, he had no problem telling Hak and Jae-ha what he thought of them.

Yoon glare didn't faze, despite being stared down by the two wolfish strangers. He didn't recognize either of them, but he hadn't seen the werewolves in a few years, besides the obnoxious ones that tormented him back at his hut. These two, however, seemed to be much younger than Hak and Jae-ha. Yoon's wide, startled eyes went from one glaring wolf to the next. He felt like kicking himself for being so unguarded, but he knew that that their scent would have been noticed. He had just been hoping it would take a bit longer to be found.

"Wow, he's really got a temper," the blond tilted his head while Yoon still glared up at them. None of them had apparently noticed Yona being awake.

"Yeah, you know, most humans would be begging for their lives right now, especially ones that crossed over into enemy territory," the other agreed, his voice giving something of a warning and Yona noticed Yoon's stiff body sager slightly.

It was at that moment when the blond werewolf's eyes moved to meet the widened, violet eyes of the princess and Yona felt her breath quicken at the attention.

"Hey, looks like the girl's awake too," the werewolf announced and then Yona was greeted with another pair of eyes on her. The darker werewolf didn't glare or frown at her, only stared blankly at her. It didn't make her feel any better though.

Suddenly her view of the two werewolves was blocked fully by Yoon's body, this time facing her in a crouched down position.

"Yona, are you okay?" Yoon's worried voice asked, his hands reaching out to help her sit up properly.

The princess could only nod though, her eyes automatically moving to look over her shoulder at the two werewolves. They were still staring, neither making any moves to approach them.

"Yona? How's your leg?" Yoon asked again, his eyes searching for any new injuries. He had been awake during their abduction, having humiliatingly been swung over the darker wolf's shoulder as they walked. Yoon hadn't tried to call for help, in fear of being hurt by the werewolf, but he  _had_  struggled to get free when he saw the other wolf carrying an unconscious Yona.

A shake of her head and Yona was looking back at Yoon, giving a reassuring smile when she saw how worriedly he was examining her. "I'm fine Yoon, really I – Yoon you're filthy!" Yona gaped at the boy went she fully took him in. Yoon was covered head to toe in what she desperately hoped to be mud. His pretty face a bit clearer than the rest of his body, but still had remnants of the dirt all over it. He had probably wiped it away earlier.

Yoon sighed in relief at the outburst. "I know, those two beasts over there covered us in this muck before taking us here."

"Us?" Yona blinked, before looking down at her body and hands. True to Yoon's words, Yona was in a similar state. A few days ago she would probably throw a fit about being so utterly dirty and gross, but it wasn't like she had been very clean for the past few days anyway.

"They did it so that the other werewolves won't smell us," Yoon explained when Yona looked back at him. Why did they not want they rest of the pack to know they were here?

"Be grateful," the blond wolf said, his arms crossing over his chest. "I wanted to use animal remains, but Tae-Woo didn't want to waste it on the two of you."

Yona's eyes went to look at the silent werewolf, presumably named Tae-Woo. He was still watching her and the princess found herself wanting to say something, but Yoon interrupted her trail of thoughts again.

"Are you sure you are okay? You've been out for a while," the boy asked, half turning away from the werewolves.

"Yes..I..I think I just fainted." Yona swallowed.

"Sure did," the blond's voice echoed through the room and both humans looked back at the werewolves. "I didn't even get to say anything cool and she was out," he chuckled and Yona found herself blushing again.

"These two barbarians brought us here," Yoon muttered back to Yona, his eyes were back to glaring at their kidnappers. "We're not in the pack, but we're not too far away either."

"I'd be careful of who you call names human," the Tae-Woo warned, even though his body was relaxed. "All we need is your friend, you...not so much."

Yona's eyes widened at the information, not thinking too much or the warning, but only on the choice of his words.

"W-why do you need me?" the princess couldn't help the stutter, she was still trying to get back all her senses and having two previously-thought-to-be enemies staring down at her wasn't helping her relax.

"Master Hak's been looking everywhere you you," the blond grinned, not noticing the annoyed look the other wolf shot him.

Yona blinked at the statement. Hak was looking for her? That didn't make any sense, he had only left her this morning and knew she was staying at Yoon's hut. Unless...Hak hadn't told these two that he had found her at all yet. The princess relaxed at the thought. Of cause! They probably didn't know that Hak had found and talked to Yona a few days ago.

"Oh no," Yona started, wanting to correct this situation. "Hak already-"

"Knock it off, Han-Dae. She doesn't need to know why she's here," the other wolf growled and Yona bit her lip at the voice.

"Oh come on Tae-Woo!" the one called Han-Dae murmured back defensively. "It's not everyday I get to talk with a real human, let me have my fun."

"This isn't some game," the dark wolf sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Just let master Hak deal with them when he gets here."

'Hak's coming?' Yona thought, her breath hitching. She wondered if he would be angry that she tried to sneak in?

"Hey? How come we can't just take these two to Gi-gan?" Han-Dae asked, his attention turned to his friend. "I bet we'd save master Hak a bunch of time."

"Because this is master Hak's mission, not ours," Tae-Woo growled, but didn't seem to mean it in a threatening manner, it seemed more like frustration. "We just need to keep them here until he gets here."

"..I guess you're right," the blond shrugged.

"Good, now I'll stay here with these two. You go and see if you can find master Hak."

"Huh? How come you get to hang with the humans?" Han-Dae pouted. It wasn't fair, this was his first experience with non-werewolves. He wanted to see them more before they were killed!

"Just go! You'll be faster than me!"

That seemed to do the trick and the blond's pout quickly turned into a proud grin as he nodded and turned to leave the hut.

"W-wait!" Yona called out without really meaning to. It still stopped the departing werewolf and both turned to look down at her. She gulped. "Uh..um, Hak. I-we've already met up and talked," she stated and when the two werewolves stayed quiet, she continued. "..It's okay, I understand everything. I've actually come to speak with you're pack leader..Gi-gan was it?"

The looks of confusion from the two werewolves didn't answer her question or give her any hope that they understood what she was saying. Had she misunderstood the situation?

"Anyway," Yona forced herself to press on. "You don't need to get Hak, I just really want to talk. So if you could maybe take me?"

"You've already talked to master Hak?" Tae-Woo repeated confusingly. That didn't make any sense. If that were the case, why wasn't he with her? Hak would never leave her, not when his mission was to bring her back. Maybe this girl was confused.

"Would you look at that," Han-Dae voiced.

Tae-Woo snapped back to reality to watch his friend slowly walk closer to the laying princess and squat down in front of her. The princess seemed to stiffen at the proxamathy, but didn't lean away or scream. He was impressed.

"The little princess has a voice after all!" the blond grinned and although his words sounded taunting, Yona knew they weren't. It was more of surprise than anything else.

"She'd been talking for a while, you idiot," Yoon barked at the blond, his body moving to shield some of the princess's.

Han-Dae only grinned more at the words, not annoyed at the words at all. Oh yeah- _heh_ , I guess I was just surprised she had the guts to talk out to us so easily."

Yona was kinda surprised herself actually and a bit proud too.

"Han-Dae."

The blond turned to look back at Tae-Woo, before sighing through a nod and standing up straight again. "Okay-okay, I'm going."

"Uh, but-" Yona started, but Han-Dae didn't stop this time and she watched as he exited the house.

"Master Hak will be here soon," Tae-Woo said and Yona looked back at his blank stare again. "Until then I suggest you stay quiet. I'll be outside if you try anything," he warned, now also moving towards the doorway.

"If you'd just tell your leader that 'Yoon' is here to see them!" Yoon tried with his earlier argument again, but it was completely ignored and soon the two humans were left alone in the small house, the door now closed.

* * *

The welcome Hak got from his fellow tribe members was a warm one and even though he had been avoiding entering the pack, he had greeted them with equal feeling. Hak loved his pack – like all the members did. They were family. So having never lived apart from them and then suddenly only being surrounded with nothing but the enemy for as long as he did, Hak felt some of that home-sickness fade.

Many of them were curious as to why the mission-tasked wolf was back in the pack so soon and Hak came to realize that Gi-gan had not informed them of his earlier visit.

In some ways he was grateful that his wolf family didn't yet know of his failure, but it also grew the dread he felt in knowing that they would soon find out. He didn't want to let everybody down and he definitely didn't want them finding out the reasons as to why he was doing it further.

All they needed to know was that the mission had been interrupted by Niogi's pack and not about him finding and wanting to help return the princess home. He and Jae-ha alone would hopefully be the only ones to know the whole truth.

Naturally everyone wanted to know how far the mission was and why Hak was back. Luckily, Hak had the excuse of needing to see Gi-gan to actually answer any of those questions. Instead he just said that he had news for Gi-gan and would catch up with everyone later.

A few of them still walked with him as he got closer to their leader's hut, wanting to spend more time with the popular raven wolf. It was thanks to Jae-ha in the end that had managed to divert the attention of everyone from the mission. After all, werewolves were stubborn creatures.

"Are you sure you don't want the deer, it'll work in your favor," Jae-ha whispered as they got closer to the hut. The green-haired wolf had been carrying the dead animal the whole time they got into the pack. Nobody had asked about it, it was normal for them to bring in new meat.

"I'm not taking the damn deer," Hak whispered back. He had managed to separate from the other pack members, explaining he was in a hurry, but they still watched him as everyone continued with their daily lives.

"You're making a mistake," Jae-ha sighed and Hak resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was grateful for everything the older wolf was doing for him and he would need to repay him someday, but he sure was being painful.

"I've been making a lot of mistakes lately, I don't see any point in stopping now."

"...Hak-"

"Master Hak!"

Jae-ha and Hak both turned to see a bright-eyed Han-Dae jogging towards them, a wide grin on his face. Hak couldn't help but smile in fond-amusement when the blond stumbled over a stack of firewood, effectively getting barked at by the owner of said stack.

The two older wolves watched as the blond bashfully called out his apologies while he continued to run towards them.

"For the fastest runner, you don't pay much attention to your surroundings," Jae-ha grinned down at the blond when he finally reached them.

"Not that you're one to talk, droopy-eyes," Hak smirked at the green-head.

"You're so mean to me."

"Master Hak, you need to come with me right now!" Han-Dae announced, his grin back in place.

The other two werewolves blinked at the instruction. A few of the other pack members spared some glances in their directions at the outburst, but the whole pack was used to the young wolf's antics by now and didn't pay too much attention.

"Hmm? Mind if I ask why?" Jae-ha asked and Han-Dae seemed to hesitate at answering the older wolf. Hak noticed.

"Han-Dae, what is it?" Hak asked, his tone hushed, but serious. He knew that if anyone wanted to, they could hear what they were saying. It was one of the problems living with a bunch of super enhanced people – no privacy.

Han-Dae seemed to struggle with how to put whatever he wanted to say into words, before whispering. "It's about a certain  _red-haired_  girl."

* * *

 

**This is chapter 15 now and Yona has met two more werewolves! Well, she sort of has, there wasn't any introduction or anything...**

**I'll admit, I wasn't all that happy with how this chapter turned out and I'm still not, but I just took what I had and posted it anyway.**

**On a side note, I recently read some of the new chapters of the Akatsuki no Yona manga and I feel half/half about it. I like that we see Yona surviving on her own (not giving up hope and all that) and the fight scenes are great - they made the dragons fight each other =(.**

**I stand by Shin-ah so much. Say NO to brotherly fighting. (All because Zeno can heal does not mean we want to see him get hurt. Learn to love yourself Zeno!).**

**Also Jae-ha looks so much more mature than when we first met him, i mean they all do, but he just looks tired and done. I need him to have some peace...hopefully soon.**

**I just really want to see Yona, Hak, Yoon and the dragons to be together again, I can't take much more of the this! Mainly i JUST WANT HAK TO BE OKAY!**

**...**

**Sorry for the tiny rant, I'm tired.**

**Really, _really_  hope you enjoyed this new chapter! Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Thanks for reading!**


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